Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 99 If the PCs kill the Yao Guai before it creates an opening in the hull and they defeat all the fanatics, Brother Scrapjaw orders his soldiers to retreat and falls back towards the ruined streets of Boston. If he survives, he remembers his defeat bitterly and goes out of his way to get revenge on the PCs when he leads the Atomite’s final battle during Chapter 3: The Winter War, Scene Three: Showdown. Should the PCs defeat the invaders, they control the future of the USS Germination and its potential food source. THE FALLOUT The PCs complete Main Quest: A New Eden when they defeat or escape from the Atomite’s siege on the USS Germination. If Dr. Yarrow still lives, they decide his fate, and he does nothing to argue. If the PCs defeated the Atomites, the Twins come out of hiding and ask if the PCs or Reese’s Minutemen will help them find a new home—they want to leave the horrors of the USS Germination behind. Should the Atomites take over the freighter, they kill Yarrow if he lives, but the Twins manage to escape and make their way to a nearby settlement. If the PCs discovered a cure to the flesh fruit sickness, they might still want to track down the fruit traded by Reese’s Minutemen and treat those made sick by it (see Hunting the Flesh Fruit, p.86). If they do not, decide which NPCs ate the fruit and what their fates are. This quest has the following outcomes: Secured a Safe Food Source. If the PCs treated the flesh fruit grown in Yarrow’s Hoard to remove its harmful effect—and defeated the sieging Atomites—the food source could save hungry communities. Allow PCs to choose how to disperse the food into the settlements. If Reese’s Minutemen survived aboard the freighter, they offer to help deliver the food to the people. The food supplies and denizen outlook for settlements that receive food improve by one step, and the PCs increase their settlement reputation ranks by 1 for those settlements. Failed to Prevent Famine. Any settlements that do not get access to treated fruit from the Hoard are struck by famine as winter worsens. Reduce their food supplies and denizen outlook by one step. Other than Diamond City and Goodneighbor, communities that reduce those variables below 1 become abandoned ghost settlements at the start of Chapter 3: The Winter War. Some of their departing residents perish in the cold when they disperse, while others join other Commonwealth settlements willing to welcome them in. The Minutemen Lost. If the freighter’s mutated mariners defeated Reese’s Minutemen, the six survivors escape into the wilderness only to be captured by the nearby Atomites. In exchange for promising to treat their sickness, they agree to join the Last Son of Atom’s Church. He provides them the cure—having known it all along. Reese and Susan Hailey become brainwashed members of the Church and can reappear as enemies in Whately Research Facility during Chapter 4: The Day of Division. They blame the PCs for abandoning them. Defeated by the Atomites. If the PCs fled the USS Germination at any point during the quest, the Last Son’s forces take control of the freighter and kill any remaining residents. The vessel becomes their stronghold in the Commonwealth, and devotees flock to their “New Eden.” The Last Son’s followers treat the flesh fruit to make it safe for consumption and hoard it for the Church. The Atomites defend their stronghold with a contingent of 15 Children of Atom Soldiers, 15 Children of Atom Protectrons, and a Children of Atom Sentry Bot led by a Brother Scrapjaw. PCs must retake the vessel to gain access to its food source. Once the PCs take time to deal with the aftermath of the quest, cure the sick, or deliver treated food to the hungry masses, allow time to pass. The worst weeks of winter arrive with a cold fury. The PCs’ battle against the Last Son of Atom’s followers at the USS Germination will soon prove a herald for a larger conflict that engulfs the entire Commonwealth when you proceed to Chapter 3: The Winter War.
100 FALLOUT Winter of Atom DIAMOND CITY Standing in the ruins of Boston, Diamond City is known across the Commonwealth as the Great Green Jewel. Behind the stadium’s imposing, bright green walls lie a bustling settlement offering residents and travelers respite from the dangers of the wasteland— providing you aren’t a ghoul. Wandering the stands and pitch, survivors can find everything from a noodle-serving Protectron and one of the best-stocked markets in the Commonwealth, to a synth-owned detective agency and the famous Diamond City Radio. However, even the shiniest beacons of hope and civilization aren’t without their problems. The newly elected mayor’s anti-ghoul stance has seen them evicting the ghoul population from the city’s safe walls, and the harsh nuclear winter has introduced new challenges for its remaining residents. Clashes between the Minutemen and the Church of Atom are only increasing tensions further. Population: 700-900 settlers Defenses: Very Strong Food Supply: Just Enough Denizen Outlook: Somewhat Grim Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Neutral (2)
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 101 TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflict within Diamond City is built upon three core issues: A class and wealth divide between the Upper Stand and Lower Field residents. A scarcity of supplies due to the nuclear winter, made worse by Upper Stand residents stockpiling and inflating prices. A lack of strong leadership that allows undue influence on the community from independent factions like the Minutemen and Church of Atom. All three of these issues are interconnected. The class and wealth divide has always existed in Diamond City, but it grows as the supply crisis worsens. With a lack of strong leadership, independent factions step in to address these issues, aligning them with or against various groups of residents, furthering the division that already exists. NUCLEAR WINTER IN THE GREAT GREEN JEWEL Even Diamond City’s fortified walls cannot fully protect it against the deadly effects of the atomic winter. Though residents fare better than other settlements thanks to their nuclear-powered generator, the city must survive the most brutal winter in its history. SUPPLY LINES DWINDLE The city is famous for its diverse market. However, supply lines suffer from a worse than usual winter season. Because fewer traders are traveling to the settlement and scavenging in the ruins of Boston is deadlier than ever, it takes vendors weeks to resupply. Brahmin, though hardy pack beasts, struggle to survive the arduous treks between scattered settlements—and few places are willing to trade what little they have to outsiders. At places like Diamond City Surplus, Chem-I-Care, and Fallon’s basement, the scenes resemble an auction more than a barter shop. Customers try to outbid each other as they fight for the limited supplies. In contrast, wealthy Upper Stand residents have no issue affording the inflated prices and are stockpiling in excess—increasing scarcity and forcing prices to climb higher each passing week. As a result, residents in the Lower Fields struggle to afford essential resources. The tension between the upper and lower classes, who already viewed each other with disdain, is a tinderbox ready to explode. FREEZING WATER AND FAILED FOOD PRODUCTION Not everything within Diamond City is sourced from supply lines. The city has its own water supply and purifier, a greenhouse, a large plot of crop-growing land, and a small brahmin pen. In earlier winters, careful rationing and planning kept these amenities capable of sustaining resident needs. Now, frigid temperatures freeze the lake solid for weeks rather than days, and water collected from the constant heavy snowfall is more irradiated than the purifier can handle. Each time it breaks down, it becomes harder and more costly to repair. The colder than usual climate and unyielding frost have caused the crop fields to fail. Tatos and mutfruit can survive mild winters and irradiated water, but even those hardy plants won’t grow in frozen soil. Professor Scara and Doctor Duff of the Science! Center work to keep the few remaining crops in the Greenhouse alive, hoping to create a strain of plants that might grow in this more extreme climate. The brahmin also suffer in extreme wintery conditions. Many brahmin who survive freezing to death succumb to dehydration and famine—food and water are prioritized for residents. A lack of fresh meat within the city—something coveted by Upper Stands residents and Choice Chops owner Polly—has many wondering if the remaining brahmin would be better served as meals than lost by traders on fruitless supply runs.
102 FALLOUT Winter of Atom OVERCROWDING AND RESIDENT TENSIONS With the Dugout Inn and other lodgings full, Diamond City Security turns away anyone traveling to the city seeking shelter. The city opens its gates during the day to allow trade and closes them at night to anyone who isn’t a resident, forcing visitors into the dangerous streets outside. Refugees from failed and collapsing settlements are slowly turning the ruins outside of Diamond City into a shantytown. These survivors are near enough to Diamond City to buy supplies but do not benefit from its shelter or security. Desperate raiders and Super Mutants patrol the Boston ruins, ambushing the folks the city turns away. After Mayor McDonough’s recent election, he delivered his promise of removing ghouls from the city—a move welcomed by some, especially with dwindling supplies. Piper Wright, owner and only journalist for Publick Occurrences, leads a group of protesters who loudly disagree with exiling ghouls from the city before the arrival of winter. Despite making good on one campaign promise, the hardships of winter, the arrival of conflicting groups and refugees, and Piper’s protests have made McDonough’s early tenure as mayor unpopular. Relations between the Minutemen and a large sect of the Children of Atom have reached broiling tension within the stadium. The two factions have rented every available room in the Dugout Inn, packing three or four people a room to accommodate demand. The Minutemen contribute to the local economy and support Diamond City against the rising external threats. Still, some members of Diamond City Security feel the Minutemen undermine their authority—and resent those of them who join Piper Wright’s protests. However, many Upper Stands residents support the Minutemen’s presence. They welcome the extra caps, increased security, and bragging rights of the esteemed faction frequenting their businesses. Diamond City Security often look like the ‘bad cops’ when breaking up confrontations between conflicting groups. Siding with the Minutemen gains their aid in dealing with internal and external threats but angers the more vulnerable residents who support the Church of the Children of Atom. Meanwhile, siding with the Children of Atom pleases the Lower Field residents but puts Diamond City Security out of favor with Upper Stand residents—who have no issue complaining loudly to the mayor about unwelcome outsiders. ATOM’S INFLUENCE Meeting one of Atom’s congregations in the wastes is common, and many travelers share tales of their prayers of radiation and nuclear annihilation. Despite the odd reputation of the Children of Atom, few were bothered by their presence in Diamond City at first. Upon their arrival, they were peaceful, and many now think of them as helpful and generous towards the Great Green Jewel residents. The climate is harsh, and hope is hard to come by, so many Lower Fields residents and daytime visitors to the city turn to the Children of Atom’s promises of transformation and creation. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY The Children of Atom are taking over the All Faiths Chapel, citing that they need a place from which they can help the locals. Pastor Clements strongly opposes their occupation of the chapel. Most Lower Field residents trust the Children of Atom and support their speaking out about the resource hoarding of the Upper Stand residents. Lower Stands locals frequently agree with the Church’s critical view of the Minutemen—who they claim are nothing more than a self-serving militia looking for a foothold in the city. The Children of Atom make their opinions on Diamond City loudly known. They support reversing the mayor’s anti-ghoul policy and speak up in support of the Lower Fields residents. However, the Children are also very vocal about their disapproval of the water purifier run by Sheng Kawolski. They often preach about the divine nature of radiation and how purified water is an insult to Atom’s will. Despite displaying peaceful behavior, rumors spread each time the purifier breaks down that the Children of Atom are secretly sabotaging the city. The Children’s supporters and collaborators brush off such talk as fearmongering and bigotry.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 103 The Children of Atom work hard to build rapport with important individuals in the community. In their attempts to gain favor, they have: Struck a deal with Myra, owner of Diamond City Surplus, to bulk buy the supplies they offer to residents and visitors to the city. Supported Piper Wright’s protests against the mayor’s anti-ghoul policy, marking at least one issue they can agree on with the Minutemen. Offered aid to the Mega Surgery Center by providing volunteers to help treat the influx of patients— some of whom cannot afford the cost of treatment. Arranged for Travis Miles of Diamond City Radio to have an exclusive interview with their leader, the Last Son of Atom, and an authentic inside look at their practices and beliefs. The interview with the mysterious Church prophet will take place entirely over radio communications from afar. WITH OTHER FACTIONS The Children of Atom go out of their way to ingratiate themselves with the community and other factions. Many in the Lower Fields turn to the Children, rather than the Minutemen, for aid. The Church uses its deep pockets to buy supplies in bulk—creating competition for Upper Stand stockpilers. The Church offers the supplies to residents for nothing more than the cost of listening to a sermon. Still, a handful of Lower Field residents disapprove of the Church out of fear of their religious dogma or support for allowing ghouls back into the city. Upper Stands residents resent the Children of Atom’s progressive attitudes towards redistributing wealth and their support of Piper’s protests. The Church’s generosity has a marked impact on profit margins for the select few. Additionally, some wealthy citizens even turn their noses up at the Children’s pious aesthetic that fails to match the dignified Diamond City they hope to create. The Church’s most significant conflict in Diamond City is with the Minutemen. What began as petty squabbles over rooms and space at the Dugout Inn quickly turned into a mostly one-sided rivalry. The Minutemen’s expertise as a security force helps protect the city, but the Children of Atom’s aid through supplies is more tangible to needy residents. The Children clash with the Minutemen over their priorities, often claiming they only fight to defend the wealthy. The Minutemen, used to being viewed as scrappy saviors, see the Children’s politicking as a calculated move to undermine their contributions to the city. The Minutemen have seen settlements fall before due to the rapid spread of dangerous ideas. So they seek to turn people against the seemingly benevolent Children of Atom before it is too late. However, many residents of Diamond City believe the Minutemen’s past experiences are making them overly cynical towards the great need Diamond City’s poor have for supplies to survive the coming winter. KEY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE OF INTEREST The Great Green Jewel is struggling to remain the lively hub of trade and safety that draws people to it from across the Commonwealth. Winter makes the settlement’s internal strife worse each passing day. Diamond City needs help and earning favor with its residents is easy enough for those willing to risk a little life and limb to aid its residents. The Fallout Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook gives a full description of Diamond City and its locations. ALL FAITHS CHAPEL The All Faiths Chapel is a non-denominational place of worship run by Pastor Clements. The Children of Atom currently use it as a hub to preach to residents and provide them aid. Residents and visitors to the city flock there to listen to sermons in exchange for supplies, and the Chapel becomes busier each week that passes.
104 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Key NPCs: Pastor Clements is a kind, older man who strongly believes in treating people equally, regardless of their faith. He views the Children of Atom’s takeover of his chapel and their sermons-for-aid methods as manipulative and exploitative. Clements clashes with Brother Bennett about the Chapel’s use, but with so many residents supporting the Children of Atom’s efforts, he’s been unsuccessful in pushing back on their claims to the place. Clements helps give out supplies to the needy alongside the Children of Atom while secretly hoping to find evidence of an ulterior motive that he can use to force them to leave the Chapel. Brother Bennett is a prominent voice within the Diamond City sect of the Children of Atom. He leads most sermons and is the charismatic face of the flock living inside the city walls. His devotion to The Last Son of Atom and his congregation is unflagging. Bennett is outwardly kind and generous, treating everyone he meets like family. Regardless of his more extreme views, he is careful to keep on others’ good side by never discussing anything too polarizing—except for his contempt for the city’s sacrilegious purifying of irradiated water. DIAMOND CITY MARKET The Market is a large area in the Lower Fields where several shops and businesses reside. Chem-I-Care is the city’s number one shop for chems and first aid supplies. Its owner, Solomon, is having trouble sourcing enough RadAway and Rad-X to keep up with increased demand due to skyrocketing radiation levels. Choice Chops is usually a place to find fresh meat of every kind. This winter’s selection is poorer than usual as Polly, the shop’s butcher and owner, fails to secure enough stock. Brahmin is her specialty, and with supply running low, her regular customers are beginning to complain. Commonwealth Weaponry specializes in weaponry, ammunition, and weapon mods. Arturo Rodriguez, the shop’s sole owner, is scrambling to keep his inventory of unique weapons and hard-tofind ammo types stocked. Diamond City Surplus is run by Myrna. At night her Mister Handy, Percy, manages the stall in her place. The shop functions as a general store that stocks everything from ammo and chems to armor and junk. Myrna refuses discounts to anyone, including those in need, but has struck a deal with the Church of Atom for supplies that lines her pockets well. “Many groups, organizations, and factions claim to protect the people of the Commonwealth, but their true mission is to extort and enforce their will. You know them by their weapons, violence, and inequitable leadership. They have rendered the masses blind, holding hostage your futures and delaying your deliverance. To those who would protect these wicked people, know that their disastrous practices are not Atom’s will. He warns against their self-serving heresy. The Last Son of Atom has foreseen the end of their reign. Their greed will divide them until they devour each other, and the good people of the Commonwealth make this land free from tyranny once more. The Last Son of Atom calls upon you to join him in protecting the vulnerable and speaking truth to power. Even if you have spilled blood in service to the vile factions infecting the Commonwealth, the Church of Atom welcomes you with open arms. For it is only Atom who can provide for all his children even in the coldest of winters. It is only Atom’s chosen who can walk infinite perfect worlds of blue skies and endless food when the Day of Division arrives at last. Those who embrace the warmth of Atom’s Glow will know eternity and division. Those who take advantage of the vulnerable will know only Atom’s divine judgment.” CHILDREN OF ATOM PAMPHLET
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 105 Fallon’s Basement is a clothing store owned by Becky Fallon. Her wares include pre-war and specialist clothing, including items like hazmat suits. Fewer scavengers are daring the Commonwealth’s winter wastes, and Becky’s inventory is growing thin. The shop’s most significant demand is for cold weather clothing. Kathy and Johns’ Super Salon is the barbershop of the city and offers all the services a resident or traveler would expect when looking for a new hairstyle. Kathy and John have not suffered too severely regarding supplies but have slashed prices as patrons prioritize food over fashion. They’re both looking for something new to offer this winter season to help them keep the caps coming in. The Mega Surgery Center is run by Doc Crocker and Doctor Sun. The center offers general medical services to patch wounds and heal radiation poisoning and cosmetic facial reconstruction surgery. The number of patients suffering from radiation-related illness and injuries from the cold is higher than ever this winter, and the doctors are buckling under their workload. Power Noodles is the market’s central food stall, run by a Protectron called Takahashi. Takahashi only speaks one Japanese phrase, “Nan-ni shimasho-ka”—meaning “What will you have?” Prices have been rising drastically at Power Noodles, making fresh hot food harder to afford. Famously mysterious, no one knows who owns the establishment or the Protectron. Swatters is a baseball memorabilia and equipment store run by Moe Cronin. Moe’s violent and bloody descriptions of pre-war baseball make it clear to anyone actually familiar with the sport that he has no idea what he is talking about. Though the shop’s inventory is well-stocked, Moe’s only customers lately come from Diamond City Security crew members needing repairs or replacements for their uniforms. Moe struggles to make ends meet because visitors spend more of their caps on essential resources and less on souvenirs and recreation. DIAMOND CITY RADIO Diamond City Radio broadcasts from a cramped metal trailer on the lake and is both home and workplace for Travis Miles. Very soon Travis is set to interview the Last Son of Atom and the Children of Atom waste no time in giving Travis a look into their beliefs, and content for his broadcast. Key NPCs: Travis Miles is the voice of Diamond City Radio. Travis is a nervous, reclusive young man who rarely leaves his trailer except to eat and drink at the Dugout Inn. He recently arranged an interview with the Last Son of Atom after being encouraged by local Church members. Travis wants to present something new on the airwaves, and Sister Iris has convinced him that spreading the Church of Atom’s hopeful ideas and promises of aid is just what the wasteland needs. Sister Iris is a thin, wispy woman whose skin shows signs of long-term radiation exposure. She is close with Brother Bennett, who assigned her to help Travis organize the interview with the Last Son of Atom. She enjoys educating Travis on the Children of Atom’s beliefs to prepare him to speak with the sect’s benevolent leader. Iris often hangs around the trailer, chatting about local affairs. She reports anything she learns from the young man back to Brother Bennett so that he may direct his flock to better support the local residents. DUGOUT INN The Dugout Inn is a small bar and hotel owned and run by the Bobrov brothers. The situation between the Minutemen and the Children of Atom creates a tense atmosphere. Locals mostly avoid the Dugout Inn and its nightly arguments between the two groups. Key NPCs: Vadim Bobrov is one of the co-owners of the Dugout Inn and brother to Yefim. A cheerful man of East Slavic ancestry, Vadim is personable and charismatic. He enjoys joking with his customers and keeping their drinks topped up. He has no real issue with boisterous arguments between the Children of Atom and the Minutemen, waving them off as spirited conversation resulting from too much alcohol.
106 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Yefim Bobrov is the other co-owner of the Dugout Inn and brother of Vadim. Yefim is more reserved than his brother. Concerned that clashes between the two factions under his roof are turning locals and visitors away from the bar, he is contemplating asking one of the groups to leave. Disappointed that his brother does not share his concerns, he hasn’t voiced his thoughts on the matter yet. Scarlett is the server at the Dugout Inn and is very popular with the locals. Usually ambivalent towards her job, she is growing more worried as tensions rise between the Minutemen and Children of Atom. With the Dugout Inn—and tips from its regulars—her sole source of income, she shares Yefim’s opinion that something must change. Scarlett is secretly quite fond of Travis Miles and is jealous of the young man’s one-on-one time with Sister Iris. MAYOR’S OFFICE The mayor’s office is located in the stadium’s press box. An old window cleaner’s lift, guarded by Diamond City Security, gives access to the box via a broken viewing window. The small reception area is managed by Geneva, the mayor’s secretary—and has become a crowded room due to Piper Wright’s daily protests. Key NPCs: Mayor McDonough is the newly elected mayor. McDonough is an older, well-dressed man with an air of political charm. Despite his charisma, he resists introducing new policies to tackle Diamond City’s recent issues out of concern he’ll become unpopular. When pressed on his positions, he defers by claiming to be in careful consideration, but in truth, McDonough is waiting to see which factions will prove most advantageous for him to support. Danny Sullivan is in charge of keeping Diamond City’s fortified main gate secure. He reports directly to McDonough. Danny views the Minutemen as necessary allies both within and outside the city’s walls, though he listens to the growing concerns of his fellow guards. Danny takes his co-workers’ complaints about the Minutemen to the mayor, but despite their friendly relationship, the mayor has yet to present a solution that satisfies Diamond City Security. Geneva is a middle-aged blonde woman who serves as the mayor’s secretary. Geneva is polite to visitors and respects Piper’s protestors, even when they make a mess of her reception area. Like other residents, she is concerned about the broiling conflict in Diamond City. Unlike others, she knows that McDonough’s poor leadership is a shrewd political game he plays for his own benefit. Geneva refuses to get directly involved with conflict but is willing to quietly aid those who might be able to force the mayor into action—so long as it does not put her job or life at risk. SIDE QUEST: DIGGING IN This quest becomes available after completing Main Quest: The Train Job so long as their Diamond City settlement reputation is at least Cautious (rank 1). Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins. Yefim Bobrov approaches the PCs, telling them he is growing concerned about clashes between the Minutemen and the Children of Atom in the Dugout Inn. He heard about the PCs helping the Mayor and hopes they can help him too. Some things that might come up in conversation include: Both groups have rooms at the Dugout and drink there at night. There was always some mostly benign hostility between the groups. It began as dirty looks and pointed comments spoken a little too loudly. Recently tension has escalated due to the groups drinking more the colder it gets outside. There have been a few physical altercations outside of the inn. No one has been seriously hurt yet. Regular customers not affiliated with either group have become reluctant to drink at the Dugout due to the palpable tension, and now Yefim is left serving just the two groups.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 107 He wants to ban one group from the inn but needs a reasonable justification to protect his business’s reputation in town. Yefim asks the PCs to instigate a conflict—or, if possible, convince one of the groups to find a new place to drink and sleep. He doesn’t care which group the PCs choose, but it needs to happen soon before he loses his remaining customers entirely. He offers the PCs a free room to stay in and a 50% discount on drinks for the rest of winter if they can make his problem disappear. MEETING THE MINUTEMEN Bryce Tucker is the leader of the Minutemen staying at the Dugout Inn. He’s gruff and grizzled but relatively friendly. His group makes daily trips beyond the walls of Diamond City to patrol and keep the refugees safe from raiders and monsters. He knows that things are beginning to spiral out of control between the Minutemen and the Children of Atom, but he doesn’t believe his group has done anything wrong. Some things that may come up in the conversation: The Children of Atom can’t be trusted and must have ulterior motives for being in Diamond City. He wishes that Mayor McDonough would exile them. They’re unpleasant to be around, and their weird reverence for radiation is an actual hazard. He hasn’t seen his group start any confrontations. The Atomites drink too much, then rile up the Minutemen with snooty comments about their lack of enlightenment. He used to tell his group not to let the Children get under their skin. However, the snide remarks have been happening for long enough that now he thinks the Children ought to get what is coming to them. A PC can convince Bryce to find the Minutemen somewhere else to sleep and spend their free time— or instigate them to start a brawl with the Children of Atom—by making a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 3. If they fail, he refuses to speak to them further. If a PC tries to intimidate him into leaving the inn, they must make a R or CHA test (with an appropriate skill) with a difficulty of 4. If they fail, five Minutemen (including Bryce) start a brawl, fighting the PCs with unarmed attacks. They do not draw weapons unless the PCs draw first. MEETING THE CHILDREN OF ATOM The spokeswoman for the Children of Atom is a woman named Shoeshine Parker. She has been a reasonably wealthy resident of Diamond City her entire life but is a recent convert to the Church of Atom. She aids the Church’s missionaries by organizing volunteers to deliver food to the hungry. She also pays for the Atomite’s rooms at the Dugout. She refuses to give up the Dugout Inn to the Minutemen. Some things that may come up in conversation: Her father used to drink in the Dugout, and his photo is pinned to the wall behind the bar. The Dugout is like a second home to her; she doesn’t want to drink anywhere else. The recent fight between the Minutemen and the Children of Atom started when one of Bryce’s friends tried to steal caps out of the pocket of one of her volunteers. Those caps were meant to buy supplies for the needy. She caught the thief in the act, and a fist fight followed. Yefim is an old family friend, and he’s been telling her for weeks that he’ll sort out the problem of the Minutemen. So far, he has done nothing. The PCs can’t convince Parker to take her crew and drink elsewhere, and she laughs off any attempts at intimidation—her group helps the needy and has the righteousness of Atom on their side. If pressed, she offers to pay the PCs 25 caps to start a brawl with the Minutemen inside the bar but stresses it must look like the Minutemen started the fight so that Yefim bans the rival group from the Dugout. If the PCs start a fight with Parker and her friends, they face five Children of Atom who fight with unarmed attacks unless any of the PCs draws weapons.
108 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Minuteman Rifleman Level 8, Human, Normal Character (60 XP) S P E C I A L 6 7 6 6 5 5 4 SKILLS Athletics 1 Sneak 1 Energy Weapons 4 Speech 1 Medicine 1 Survival 4 Melee Weapons 2 Unarmed 1 Repair 2 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 14 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 210 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1 (Arms, Legs, Torso) 2 (Arms, Legs, Torso) 0 0 ATTACKS UNARMED STRIKE: STR + Unarmed (TN 7), 2 DC Physical damage RECON THREE-CRANK LASER MUSKET: PER + Energy Weapons (TN 11), 6 DC Piercing Energy damage, Range M, Two-Handed, Accurate, Recon SPECIAL ABILITIES CONCENTRATE FIRE: When the minuteman makes a ranged attack, they can re-roll up to 2CD of their damage roll. INVENTORY Leather Chest Piece, Leather Leg x2, Leather Arm x2, Recon Three-Crank Laser Musket, Serrated Combat Knife, 2d20 Fusion Cells, 2CD Stimpaks, Wealth 2 Children of Atom Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 5 5 6 8 5 5 4 SKILLS Barter 1 Sneak 2 Energy Weapons 3 Speech 3 Melee Weapons 1 Survival 4 Repair 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 10 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 200 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 2(All) 0 ATTACKS UNARMED STRIKE: STR + Unarmed (TN 5), 2 CD Physical damage GAMMA GUN: PER + Energy Weapons (TN 8), 3CD Piercing, Stun, Radiation damage, Fire Rate 1, Range M, Blast, Inaccurate SPECIAL ABILITIES RAD RESISTANT: The Child of Atom can survive moderate radioactivity for prolonged periods. They have Radiation DR 2. INVENTORY Tough Clothing, Gamma Gun, 2d20 Gamma Rounds, Wealth 1
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 109 If violence breaks out in the inn, NPCs and PCs can describe using chairs and other bar scenery for their attacks—bar furniture counts as unarmed attacks or 1 CD cover. If anyone fires a gun or someone dies, twelve Diamond City security guards show up and immediately break up the fight. Otherwise, the guards appear to end the brawl after five rounds of combat. Both groups blame each other, and the guards cannot decide who is guilty. Rather than arrest anyone, they confiscate any drawn weapons and inform the groups that the Mayor will hear about what happened. Yefim then demands everyone leave—but if he is pleased with the PCs’ actions, he whispers to them that they should return later after things have cooled down. THE FALLOUT The PC with the highest Charisma makes a settlement reputation test (CHA + Reputation Rank) when the quest resolves, rolling a number of d20s equal to their positive influences against a difficulty equal to the number of negative influences. Use the following outcomes as a guide: Peacefully Persuaded the Minutemen. If the PCs convince the Minutemen to leave the Dugout and find somewhere else to stay, Yefim is incredibly grateful. In addition to a free room and 50% discount on drinks, he gives them three bottles of Rum as a reward. His business begins to recover, and he talks up the PCs to his patrons—add one positive influence to the reputation test. The Minutemen Banned. If the PCs instigated the Minutemen to start a brawl with them or the Children, Yefim bans Bryce’s group from the dugout. He rewards the PCs with a free room and a 50% discount unless they fired a gun or killed someone during the encounter. Word about the brawl becomes huge news in Diamond City. If the PCs brawled with the Minutemen themselves, add one negative influence to the reputation test. If the PCs killed a Minuteman, add another negative influence to the test and the PCs become banned from the Dugout Inn. The Children of Atom Banned. If the PCs started a fight with the Children, Yefim bans both the PCs and Parker’s group from the Dugout. If she is able, Parker screams at Yefim as security escorts her from the bar, claiming he is betraying the memory of her father. She and her volunteers leave Diamond City and soon become full Sisters and Brothers of the Last Son of Atom’s sect of the Church. She bitterly remembers the PCs in future encounters and may become a recurring foe. If the PCs killed any of the Children during the fight, add a negative influence to the reputation test. SIDE QUEST: WE GOT THE BEAT This quest becomes available after the PCs complete Main Quest: The Train Job the next time they leave Diamond City and build a campsite. Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins. Linda, a harmless wandering ghoul trader, approaches the PCs’ camp with a proposition. Read or paraphrase the following: A pinch-faced ghoul woman in worn work clothes strolls casually up to your camp, hands raised. She rasps, with a dry chuckle, “Funny, I thought you’d be better armed.” Then she holds out a wrinkled hand and kindly says, “Linda. Pleased to meet you all. I have an offer of employment and a few caps for your pockets in exchange for a few travel days. Care to hear me out?” Linda is very personable, funny, and world-wise. She can tell PCs about any of the major settlements in the Commonwealth—she has done business with all of them except for Beatsville (see p.140). If the PCs speak to Linda, they can learn the following: Linda wants to trade with the legendary hidden settlement of Beatsville, said to be the home of brilliant artists. She thinks she knows how to get there—but needs protection, so nobody robs her caravan during the journey. Ghouls aren’t welcome in Diamond City anymore, so she followed the players’ characters, hoping they might help.
110 FALLOUT Winter of Atom The trip should only take 48-hours, even though her brahmin struggle with the cold weather. She deduced the location of Beatsville after triangulating the signal from KOOL Radio, but she keeps that presumed location secret. After all, she has no desire to create competition for a trade route. Her crew includes Charlotte (a human mechanic), Regina (a human mercenary), and Kate and Janie (human merchants). Kate and Janie handle the brahmin, trade inventory, and assist with first aid when necessary. Charlotte keeps their wagons in good repair. Regina’s the muscle. She believes her companions are loyal, though Janie’s Church of Atom religious beliefs can sometimes be off-putting. Linda has a small caravan pulled by four pack-brahmin. The two wagons are stocked with various items, mostly junk, but geared toward what she thinks will sell in Beatsville. Her stores contain paint and thinner, bleached cloth, wire, glue, and glitter. If the PCs agree, Linda offers them 20 caps per PC upfront and 20 more caps per PC when they arrive safely. If a PC makes a successful (R or CHA) + Barter test with a difficulty of 2, Linda pleasantly offers 20 additional caps per PC should they arrive with her goods intact. THE JOURNEY TO BEATSVILLE Searching for Beatsville means traveling overland for 48 to 72 hours (see Chapter 1, Traversing the Commonwealth, p.29) and camping at least twice. You may also introduce winter environment conditions during the journey (see Chapter 1, Winter Wasteland, p.27). Linda and her crew are open to speaking to the PCs and befriending them. Janie is secretly spying on them for the Church of Atom but does not act against them. She even offers them some of her food and drink. The caravan may come under attack during the trek through frozen ruins, shattered streets, and endless junkyards. The four brahmin are the easiest attack targets, and Regina does her best to help the PCs protect them. Brahmin Level 3, Mutated Mammal, Normal Creature (24 XP) BODY MIND MELEE GUNS OTHER 6 4 1 — 2 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 9 10 1 PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1 1 Immune 0 ATTACKS HEADBUTT: Body + Melee (TN 7), 4CD Physical damage SPECIAL ABILITIES IMMUNITIES: The brahmin is immune to Radiation damage and its effects. INVENTORY BUTCHERY: Butchering the brahmin’s corpse requires an END + Survival test with a difficulty of 0. A success yields 1 portion of brahmin meat and 2 Uncommon Materials.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 111 Regina Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 6 6 6 5 5 6 4 SKILLS Athletics 1 Sneak 1 Barter 2 Speech 1 Medicine 1 Survival 4 Small Guns 4 Unarmed 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 210 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 0 0 ATTACKS UNARMED STRIKE: STR + Unarmed (TN 5), 3CD Physical damage COMBAT RIFLE: AGI + Small Guns (TN 10), 5CD Physical damage, Fire Rate 2, Range M, TwoHanded SPECIAL ABILITIES DEADSHOT: Once per combat, Regina can increase the difficulty of a ranged attack by 1. If she hits, she doubles the number of CD rolled to determine damage. LET RIP: Once per combat, Regina may ‘let rip’ with a volley from her Combat Rifle. This adds the weapon’s Fire Rage of 2 to the weapon’s damage for a single attack (for 7CD total). INVENTORY Road Leathers, Combat Rifle, 9+4CD .45 rounds, Wealth 2 During the caravan journey, PCs have opportunities to interact with and build relationships with their new traveling companions. Arguing Religion. At the end of the first day of travel, an argument breaks out between Janie and Kate about religion during camp. Janie believes in endless possibilities and the unexplainable and doesn’t understand how Kate can believe in nothing at all. Kate thinks Janie is a fool to let herself get wrapped up in the so-called Last Son of Atom’s prophecy hogwash and can’t believe any god would allow the world to fall to its current state. They ask the PCs with the highest CHA score to settle the dispute about whether or not faith has any value. A PC who makes a successful CHA or INT + Speech test with a difficulty of 3 can make a compelling argument for their own beliefs. On a failure, whichever NPC disagrees most with their argument snubs them for the remainder of the journey with cold dinners, refusal to help with chores, and occasional venomous glares. The Burden of Fallen Brahmin. Travel becomes much more challenging if any brahmin die from attack or cold weather. Charlotte stays cheery despite the setback but pushes herself too hard to shoulder the burden personally. Unless PCs take the burden on themselves, she becomes critically injured when a wagon wheel breaks after the first day of travel. PCs who help shoulder the burden must make a group END + Athletics test with a difficulty of 4 after each day of travel. On a failure, any participating PCs suffer 2 Fatigue. Old Scars. Regina blames herself if any crew suffers from a critical injury or dies. If no one consoles her, she grows distant while they travel and takes unnecessary risks during combat. Consoling Regina does not require making a test—they merely need to offer support and listen to her. Regina can explain that she used to be a guard for a large settlement that was wiped out by a roaming horde of mutated monsters. While her sister and brother stayed to fight, she fled because she was scared. She hasn’t stayed in one place for long ever since. Trail Song. Linda has a fondness for music, but as a ghoul, her voice is gravelly and not well-suited to singing. Her fingers are still agile, though, and she has
112 FALLOUT Winter of Atom a good sense of pitch and timing. One night around the campfire, she asks if any of the PCs know any good trail songs. If a PC sings a song, allow them to describe the song’s meaning and make a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 2. On a failure, Linda cleans out her ears with her fingers and politely thanks them for indulging her. On a success, the song moves Linda, and she asks them how they learned music. She mentions that if someone finds her an instrument, she would love to learn to play. If the PCs search for a musical instrument while scavenging in the future, they can use a roll on the Winter Wasteland or Random Oddities and Valuables tables to find a guitar or pair of drums instead. If they gift the instrument to Linda, she is very grateful—add 3 AP to the group’s pool. Linda begins to practice nightly—proving very naturally talented—and encourages her traveling companions to play music or sing along with her. As winter progresses, she and her crew begin to foster a local reputation for being traveling musicians in addition to traders. ARRIVING AT BEATSVILLE Once the caravan finds the hidden junkyard settlement of Beatsville, its residents greet the travelers— they seem both wary and impressed by their efforts. Beatsville rarely gets visitors due to being so carefully hidden. So long as the PCs behave and promise not to share the secret of Beatsville with anyone else, they are welcome to enjoy the settlement’s safety, warmth, art, food, and water. Good Pay for Good Work. Linda gives the PCs their remaining pay and spends two days trading raw materials for finished goods before she leaves for another settlement. Her next destination is only a 24-hour journey away—choose any settlement you think the PCs might enjoy exploring. She offers the group 10 caps per PC if they continue to guard the caravan during the next trip. Snakes in the Snow. If the PCs accept Linda’s offer and travel further with the caravan, Janie sneaks off from camp in the middle of the first night of the next journey to inform a Child of Atom spy of Beatsville’s location. Suspicious PCs who notice she is missing from camp can track through the snow or ice by making two successful tests (PER + Survival and AGI + Stealth) with difficulty 2. If either test fails, Janie recognizes she is being tracked and eludes her pursuers—she informs her contact of Beatsville’s location and never returns to the caravan. If both tests succeed, they follow Janie to a secluded rendezvous where she meets with Brother Lywin, a Church of Atom spy, to inform him of Beatsville’s secret location. If the PCs confront Janie, the two Children of Atom attack. They do not pursue PCs who flee and flee themselves if their partner is defeated. Should Janie or the spy survive or escape, they travel to the safety of Diamond City to seek shelter with the settlement’s Church members. The other caravan members are shocked by the betrayal, though Kate claims not to be surprised.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 113 Children of Atom Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 5 5 6 8 5 5 4 SKILLS Barter 1 Sneak 2 Energy Weapons 3 Speech 3 Melee Weapons 1 Survival 4 Repair 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 10 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 200 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 2(All) 0 ATTACKS MACHETE: STR + Melee Weapons (TN 6), 4CD Piercing Physical damage GAMMA GUN: PER + Energy Weapons (TN 8), 3CD Piercing, Stun, Radiation damage, Fire Rate 1, Range M, Blast, Inaccurate SPECIAL ABILITIES RAD RESISTANT: The Child of Atom can survive moderate radioactivity for prolonged periods. They have Radiation DR 2. INVENTORY Tough Clothing, Gamma Gun, Machete, 2d20 Gamma Rounds, Wealth 1 THE FALLOUT This quest has the following outcomes: Picked Up a Part-Time Gig. If PCs continue to work for Linda and maintain a good relationship, she is happy to pay them 10 caps per PC for each trip between settlements and share food or water with them during the journey. They can work as caravan guards while continuing to explore Commonwealth settlements and completing other side quests. Linda spends two days in each settlement before traveling onward. Received Rave Reviews. If they protected her caravan well, Linda spreads word of the PCs’ resourcefulness. Make a settlement reputation test for the next settlement she travels to, regardless of whether or not the PCs continue to work for her caravan, adding one positive influence for Linda’s good word of mouth. Secret Revealed. If the PCs do not interfere with Janie and Brother Lymin’s meeting, the Last Son of Atom learns the location of Beatsville and may be more likely to attack it during Main Quest: A Thousand Feet of Terror.
114 FALLOUT Winter of Atom GOODNEIGHBOR No matter one’s vice, Goodneighbor promises satisfaction. Founded in the wake of the Diamond City purge, Goodneighbor is home to ghouls, criminals, and other Commonwealth misfits who do not belong elsewhere. A violent rebellion against the settlement’s previous leader, Vic, has left Hancock as the self-proclaimed Mayor. Murder, extortion, and chem peddling are commonplace despite Hancock’s gang, the Neighborhood Watch, patrolling the streets. Radioactive snow covers every inch of the secure little brick-and-mortar settlement. Most of Goodneighbor’s population waits out the frigid weather all warm and cozy inside its many frivolous and indulgent businesses, unaware that starvation and overpopulation could be its downfall. There may be Triggermen in the back alley and memory addicts in the hotel lobby, but some would claim there are far worse places in the Commonwealth to wait out atomic winter. Population: 50-60 settlers Defenses: Very Strong Food Supply: Limited Denizen Outlook: Satisfied Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Neutral TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflict within Goodneighbor is built upon these core issues: A distracted mayor that’s inattentive to the needs of the settlement or the real struggles its denizens face. A food shortage pushing settlers to turn to chems for relief from the growing starvation problem. An increase in crime and civil unrest due to overpopulation and the unsupervised Neighborhood Watch. The internal conflicts of Goodneighbor are cause and effect, each one a consequence of the one that came before it. A lack of authentic leadership means no reliable food source, leading to more chem usage and growing internal controversy. NUCLEAR WINTER IN SCOLLY SQUARE Once a haven for lost souls and the Commonwealths’ undesirables, the settlement is now a place where chem addiction, the cold, and starvation rival one another to be the greatest threat. Its residents look for someone to lead them through the violent nuclear winter. CHEM-TASTIC LIFE “A chem a day keeps the hunger away” has become a motto in Goodneighbor since winter began. For many citizens, chems and escapism fill the void left by lack of food and an uncertain future, with the settlement’s recreational establishments exacerbating the issue. As legitimate supply lines come to a halt across the Commonwealth, Goodneighbor’s well-established community is in a dire situation—and there is nobody more dangerous than the desperate.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 115 SECURITY Goodneighbor’s location makes it an ideal stronghold against the raging winter weather and dangers of the Boston area. The Neighborhood Watch deals with raiders and other violent attacks quickly, but outside factors are the least of Goodneighbor’s problems. The settlement serves drifters, criminals, and vigilantes of all kinds, but crime and civil unrest have spiked with the recent overpopulation. People fight over small slights, steal from those with little to give, and defile the streets with refuse. The people of Goodneighbor have become their own worst enemy. In his isolation, Hancock has declared new measures to limit how many people are allowed into Goodneighbor at any given time. This new “headcount system” addresses the crowding problem but does little to combat the growing internal unrest fueled by illegal chems and supply shortages. RESIDENTIAL TENSIONS Hancock’s hands-off approach forces residents to fend for themselves, including the Neighborhood Watch. Outnumbered, Hancock’s gang resorts to extremes to keep the peace. Violence among neighbors, excessive robberies, and chem-induced rages are commonplace. The Neighborhood Watch answers the growing unrest with even more of an iron fist than usual, escalating tensions between the keepers of peace and the settlers they are supposed to protect. Many residents are fighting back, and rumors spread of new gangs rising to halt the Neighborhood Watch’s tyranny and bring peace back to the streets. ATOM’S INFLUENCE Hancock has very little interest in allying with outside factions. He did not overthrow Vic and establish Goodneighbor for it to fall under the charge of anyone but himself. And though the Children of Atom do not need Hancock directly, they know he stands between them and Goodneighbor’s population. An Atomite spy deviously stole Hancock’s hat and framed several members of the Neighborhood Watch, knowing the self-proclaimed mayor would obsess over rats within his organization and pay less attention to outsiders. This distraction provides the Children of Atom the perfect chance to infiltrate and walk among the riffraff without worrying about Hancock noticing. With Goodneighor’s overcrowding issue, no one seems to care if people disappear into the care of the Children of Atom. The Church plans to kill several members of the Neighborhood Watch soon and gain Hancock’s trust by returning his hat—spinning a grand story of how they uncovered a massive conspiracy against the leader and put an end to it. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY New pamphlets at Hotel Rexford confirm that the Children of Atom have made Goodneighbor part of their regular recruitment circle. It’s rumored even the Last Son of Atom visited the Memory Den recently. Having seen the disparaged state of the settlers in Goodneighbor with their own eyes, the Children of Atom know residents are vulnerable to suggestion and therefore ideal targets for recruitment. Hancock’s new headcount system has slowed their efforts, but it has not stopped them entirely.
116 FALLOUT Winter of Atom WITH OTHER FACTIONS Due to the declining trade between settlements, caps are not flowing as they used to in Goodneighbor. The local businesses have become concerned, so Hancock has secretly sent chem-runners into the Commonwealth to trade their excess illegal supplies for caps to support the struggling establishments. Like the Children of Atom infiltrating Goodneighbor, Hancock’s chem-runners target the most vulnerable people inside other settlements. Limbo at Mechminster Abbey (p.150) has already proven profitable returns and remains the number one chem sales site during winter. KEY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE OF INTEREST Goodneighbor is home to several one-of-a-kind establishments focused on supplying their visitors with whatever their vice may be. The personalities within them are just as unique, thanks to the settlement’s ability to draw in the downtrodden and the eccentric—the types of folks who often have information to trade for the right price. OLD STATE HOUSE The Old State House is the oldest building in the Commonwealth and the current headquarters of Hancock’s mayoral activities. Once overcrowding became an issue, he put the building on lockdown. The only people allowed in (other than himself) are the Neighborhood Watch. Key NPCs: Hancock is the jaded leader of Goodneighbor who has secluded himself in the Old State House for the winter. His successes have left him with everything he could ever want—chems, caps, and capital. Even facing the settlement’s current adversities, Hancock spends all his time doting over a historical painting of the real John Hancock and babbling about his missing hat. Much of his identity revolves around his historical outfit, and with his hat missing, Hancock remains distraught and intoxicated. His grief has led him to blame the settlers and even his own Neighborhood Watch for his missing accessory. The Watch is unhappy with Hancock’s accusations and take their frustrations out on local settlers. Hancock’s new policies assure he need only do the bare minimum to get Goodneighbor through winter so he can focus on what is most important to him: his hat. Hancock may prove a worthy ally to anyone who can help him with his adornment issue or otherwise pull him out of his deep depression. MEMORY DEN The Memory Den is a recreational establishment offering a unique virtual experience. Through the use of memory loungers, one can relive a moment from your life or even the lives of others. Irma, the proprietor, has a keen business sense, catering only to those with the caps upfront and the mental stability to cope with such an experience. But just like any place of sumptuous indulgence, addiction lingers in the air. Rumor in Goodneighbor has it that the Memory Den recently provided their services to the Last Son of Atom. What memory could he possibly want to relive? Key NPCs: Irma is one of Goodneighbor’s human residents and the co-proprietor of the Memory Den. Gifted with great beauty and skilled in persuasion, she rarely fails at turning a shopper into a buyer. But ask about another person’s experience, and she reminds you of the strict confidentiality clause: only the original owner of the memory can view an archived file unless released as public domain. Recently, the Last Son of Atom partook of the Memory Den’s services forcing Irma, under threat to her life, to keep his activities secret. She’s the only one who knows he is searching other peoples’ memories about a lost military research facility. If paid a large sum of caps, Irma may share this information but doesn’t know the facility’s location. Everyone knows there is nothing in Goodneighbor that doesn’t have a price.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 117 THE THIRD RAIL The Third Rail is a jazz club built into the subway station below the Old State House. Most people who visit Goodneighbor agree that it’s the best place to get a drink—and information. Whitechapel Charlie’s home-brewed booze and Magnolia’s jazzy performances are sure to warm up even the frostiest souls. Key NPCs: Whitechapel Charlie is a Mister Handy model robot and dedicated bartender of the Third Rail. If you can get past his Cockney accent and pre-war British attire, you might be able to bargain for some information on the local happenings. As a direct employee of Hancock’s, he remains loyal and is hostile to anyone who speaks out against him. Magnolia is the resident jazz singer for the bar hired by Whitechapel Charlie, regarded by many as beauty incarnate. Unknown to most, she is a synth. Listen closely enough to her songs’ original lyrics, and the secret story of her escape from the Institute will be revealed. She likes interesting company and gossip, but has little interest in local politics as long as the caps keep flowing. NEON FLATS Neon Flats is a vacant apartment building near the center of town. The apartments lack power, but anyone brave enough to exterminate the mole rats and radroaches nesting there might get squatting rights for the winter. The building consists of three floors, including individual rooms, several restrooms, a kitchen with a cooking station, and a larger kitchen containing materials that can be used for a chemistry station. Neon Flats could prove a profitable business venture, especially with the settlement’s overcrowding issues, but new businesses must gain approval from Hancock first. HOTEL REXFORD Hotel Rexford is more of a chem-den than a true hotel. Currently, the sign out front reads “No Vacancy.” Under normal conditions, it provides lodging to travelers and scavengers who pass through Goodneighbor. With the recent overcrowding problem, single rooms accommodate six or more at a time. Most inhabitants remain in an inebriated hibernation waiting for winter to pass. Key NPCs: Norm is a mysterious homeless man who has taken up permanent residence in front of Hotel Rexford. He keeps cover under a tattered wool blanket, hiding his human-like qualities. People joke that winter has frozen him in place, but as a third-generation synth, the cold has little effect on him. He holds the perfect position to see and hear everything that happens in Goodneighbor and is an excellent source of information for those who manage to befriend him. THE WAREHOUSE The Warehouse is Hancock’s private storage for the settlement’s chems and excess food stores. There, his Neighborhood Watch meets with chem-runners for pick up and drop off. Though the storehouse stocks plenty of illegal chems, it is the heaping pile of helpful medicines like stimpaks that Hancock hopes to keep secret and safe. Key NPCs: The Neighborhood Watch is Hancock’s security detail of humans and ghouls, tasked with keeping the peace in Goodneighbor. More bully than security, the Watch dress in three-piece suits, wear fedoras, and sport submachine guns. They take shifts guarding the heavily chained Warehouse door twenty-four hours a day. Since Hancock started secretly running illegal chems to other settlements, the Watch’s efforts are concentrated chiefly on protecting the Warehouse’s secret stash of medicines and remaining food. Suspicions abound among the settlers about what the warehouse contains, but only Hancock and his goons know what is locked inside.
118 FALLOUT Winter of Atom SIDE QUEST: A VERY GOOD NEIGHBOR This quest becomes available after the PCs complete Main Quest: The Train Job and spend a day in Goodneighbor. Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins. Hancock approaches the PCs and tells them he heard about their work near Diamond City and has a proposition for them. Some things that may come up during the conversation: Mayor McDonough is no friend of Hancock or the people of Goodneighbor, and for all he talks about wanting to help the Commonwealth at large, he refuses to offer aid. The people of Goodneighbor are starving, and even the recent attempts to limit the population in the settlement by introducing daily headcounts haven’t helped. He needs help, and he’s willing to pay for it. Hancock’s proposition is simple: help ensure that some of the supplies meant for Diamond City find their way to Goodneighbor or help the Neighborhood Watch set up an ambush on a caravan. He promises that Mayor McDonough will never learn of the involvement of the PCs in this scheme. In exchange, he offers them 100 caps, medicinal supplies, and an apartment in Neon Flats to do with as they please— though he cautions that there is no power and a bad infestation of radroaches and mole rats that will need dealing with to make the place habitable. THE DIPLOMATIC ROUTE The PCs may be able to lean on their relationship with Mayor McDonough to acquire some supplies in an above-board manner. They can return to Diamond City and convince McDonough to share food and water with Goodneighbor. To do so, a PC must make a CHA or INT + Speech test with a difficulty equal to 6 minus the PCs’ settlement reputation rank for Diamond City. If the test succeeds, McDonough agrees to help Goodneighbor—if only because he believes he might need the PCs’ aid in the future. The supplies are enough to help Goodneighbor stave off winter a little longer. If the test fails, McDonough over-dramatically acts heartbroken, but informs the PCs that he simply cannot put his people at risk of starvation to help a town full of criminals. If the PCs return to Hancock with the good news, he seems genuinely surprised and more than a little suspicious of McDonough’s motives—but thanks the PCs for their excellent work. GREASING THE RIGHT PALMS The PCs can help Goodneighbor and keep their hands relatively clean at the same time if they tip off Hancock and the Neighborhood Watch about the movements of an upcoming food caravan arriving soon at Diamond City. To learn about the shipment’s travel plan, they can strike up a conversation in Diamond City by making a CHA or INT + Barter test with a difficulty of 3. If the test succeeds, the person they’re speaking to offers them the details in exchange for 4d20 caps. If the test fails, whoever they’re talking to becomes suspicious and avoids sharing information—the PCs cannot gain the knowledge unless they resort to more extreme measures, such as capturing and forcing a member of Diamond City Security to spill what they know. If the PCs learn about the arriving shipment and inform Hancock, five of his Neighborhood Watch set a trap and pull off an easy heist that results in the deaths of several caravan merchants. PCs who have a change of heart, or want to steal the caravan’s goods for themselves, might try to set up a trap to take out the five Neighborhood Watch members.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 119 Neighborhood Watch Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 5 5 7 6 5 6 4 SKILLS Barter 1 Sneak 2 Energy Weapons 3 Speech 3 Melee Weapons 1 Survival 4 Repair 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 13 11 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 200 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 0 0 0/Immune 0/Immune ATTACKS MUZZLED SUBMACHINE GUN: AGI + Small Guns (TN 10), 3 DC Burst Physical damage, Fire Rate 4, Range C, Two-Handed HEAVY LEAD PIPE:STR + Melee Weapons (TN 9), 5 DC Physical damage SPECIAL ABILITIES GHOUL IMMUNITY: Neighborhood Watch members are often ghouls, though not always. Ghouls are immune to Poison and Radiation damage and their effects. Also, they are immune to all diseases. LET RIP: Once per combat, the Neighborhood Watch may ‘let rip’ with a volley from their Muzzled Submachine Gun, adding the weapon’s Fire Rate of 4 to the weapon’s damage for a single attack (for 7CD total). INVENTORY Three-Piece Suits and Fedora (Formal Clothing), Heavy Lead Pipe, Muzzled Submachine Gun, 5+10CD .45 Rounds, 2CD Bobby Pins, Wealth 2 A LITTLE BREAKING AND ENTERING If the PCs access the food and medicine stores in Diamond City, they can try to smuggle goods out of the settlement. Sneaking into storage unnoticed requires a group AGI or PER + Sneak test with a difficulty of 3. If the test fails, four armed members of Diamond City Security notice them and block the storage exit. They demand the PCs lay down their arms and come with them to explain their actions to the mayor. A PC can talk their way out of trouble with the guards or McDonough by making a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 4. On a success, they can convince the locals they had a good reason to be in their food storage room. They may attempt to sneak in and steal supplies again, but if they are spotted, security immediately attacks. The guards immediately attack if the PCs cannot talk their way out of trouble or refuse to surrender to security.
120 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Diamond City Security Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 6 6 6 5 5 6 4 SKILLS Athletics 3 Speech 1 Melee Weapons 4 Survival 2 Small Guns 4 Unarmed 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 200 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1(All) 1(All) 0 0 ATTACKS CHAIN-WRAPPED ALUMINUM BASEBALL BAT: STR + Melee Weapons (TN 10), 7CD Physical damage, Two-Handed LONG BARREL QUICK PIPE GUN: AGI+ Small Guns (TN 10), 3CD Physical damage, Fire Rate 2, Close Quarters, Range M SPECIAL ABILITIES HOME RUN: Once per combat, the Diamond City Security can swing their baseball bat with all their might, adding their Athletics skill of 3 to their target number (for a total of TN 13). Their first success generates an additional success. INVENTORY Baseball Uniform (Tough Clothing), Chain-Wrapped Baseball Bat, Long Barrel Quick Pipe Gun, 5+10CD .38 Rounds, 2x Stimpaks, Wealth 1 If the PCs are defeated, the guards strip them of any of their food or beverages, then dump their unconscious bodies and weapons onto the ruined streets of Boston outside the settlement. If the PCs defeat Diamond City Security, the only way to ensure no one learns of their actions is to leave none of the guards alive and quietly leave the settlement. After the PCs take food supplies and exit, they must make a group AGI or CHA + Sneak test with a difficulty of 3 to leave the area without anyone spotting them. If the test fails, two local settlers notice them moving suspiciously and inform Mayor McDonough the following day. In either case, the PCs can leave the settlement with the supplies and make their way back to Goodneighbor—or double-cross Hancock and keep the goods for themselves. THE FALLOUT This quest has the following outcomes: Brokered a Peaceful Deal. If the PCs convinced Mayor McDonough to share some of Diamond City’s supplies with Goodneighbor, it marks the beginning of a shaky truce between the settlements that lasts the winter. Make a settlement reputation test for both settlements, adding a positive influence to each for brokering a peaceful deal. Caught in the Act. If surviving Diamond City Security or local settlers noticed the PCs leaving the storage area—after they stole food supplies or fought guards inside—the mayor becomes aware the next day and the PCs lower their settlement reputation with Diamond City by 2. If the PCs killed any security guards, and McDonough finds out, their settlement reputation automatically decreases to 0 (Hostile). McDonough suspects Hancock to be behind the act and the relationship between Diamond City and Goodneighbor becomes more hostile throughout winter.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 121 Delivered the Goods. If the PCs ensure Goodneighbor receives supplies from Diamond City, regardless of the method, Goodneighbor’s food supply improves one step, and Diamond City’s food supply worsens one step. Hancock rewards them with 100 caps, 6 Stimpaks, 6 RadAways, and the keys to Neon Flat’s empty apartment. Make a reputation test with Goodneighbor and add one positive influence. Helped Yourselves. If the PCs keep Diamond City’s stolen supplies for themselves, they gain ten of each of the following items: Melon, Corn, Tarberry, Melon Juice, and Brahmin Milk. Unfortunately, Hancock strongly suspects they double crossed him—the PCs must make a settlement reputation test with a complication range of 4 (17-20) and add one negative influence. Additionally, Diamond City’s food supplies worsen one step. Building A Business Creating a base of operations, like Neon Flats, can provide characters an opportunity for more caps, resources, and narrative possibilities. Establishing Neon Flats as a business venture is a good background task fraught with many challenges, including finding or crafting items for sale, combating competitive business, and protecting assets. You can create additional side quests centered around the PCs’ business ventures. When PCs return to their business, consider the state of the settlement, recent events, and how well they have handled any business complications to determine how much profit or debt they have accrued since the last time they checked in. Below are potential ventures and complications that may arise when converting Neon Flats into a business. You can easily alter these suggestions to work for ventures established in other settlements too. Hotel: 5 caps per person a night, paid upfront. Requires acquiring or crafting furniture; possible fights among the patrons. Restaurant: Reference item costs to create a menu. Food resources are scarce; businesses with lots of food on hand become a target for thieves. Chem Front: Reference item costs to create a list of illicit goods. May antagonize other local chem peddlers willing to fight over turf; could be targeted by local Neighborhood Watch or law enforcement. Shop: Reference item costs to create a list of goods or services. Highly customized or expensive items may be too expensive for most settlers; competitor shops may do everything they can to chase you out of town.
122 FALLOUT Winter of Atom MIRAGE To most, Mirage is a rumor at best. Chem-heads babble about the “wandering fortress on the horizon”—a roaming casino offering booze, caps, and gambling for anyone who can find it. The original inhabitants of the fortress were vault dwellers who bravely gave up their home to a gang of vicious raiders, but not before they repurposed the vault’s supplies and rigged an explosion to trap the vault’s usurpers. Now, these nomadic people live in a metal, beehive-like fortress drawn by brahmin. Though winter storms rattle the steel stronghold, Mirage is never at a loss for supplies, protection, or warmth for those who seek it out and have the caps to pay for it. Paradise may seem too good to be true, especially in a time of such scarcity, but the Children of Atom pamphlets at the bar hint where the leadership’s loyalty resides. Look too closely, and just like with any mirage, the truth behind the illusion is revealed. Population: 32 settlers Defenses: Somewhat Strong Food Supply: Just Enough Denizen Outlook: Very Happy Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Neutral TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflict within the Mirage is built upon these core issues: A decline in caps and customers due to extreme weather conditions keeping people from traveling. A rising demand for more recruits to fulfill their deal with the Children of Atom, made more difficult by the recent decline in visitors. The house rules being bent for the Children of Atom as Maxwell Kantor allows them freedoms reserved for permanent residents. All three of these issues revolve around Mirage’s desperate attempts to survive in a time of scarcity. Drastic times call for extreme measures, and the need to make new allies to survive winter creates growing friction among the residents of Mirage. Now that their revered community rules are being broken, will their paradise be lost? HOUSE RULES During Mirage’s inception, strict house rules were created for the safety and prosperity of its original residents. These rules have assured the survival of the original vault dwellers. Anyone who doesn’t follow the house rules is refused entry or forced to leave by bouncer-types posing as tourists. MIRAGE HOUSE RULES What happens at Mirage, stays at Mirage. To maintain its allure and mystery, residents and visitors alike agree to the utmost secrecy for all who visit—what you choose to do in paradise stays in paradise. 72-hour limit for all visitors. Mirage offers delights and luxuries beyond any others found in the Commonwealth, but only permanent residents have the privilege of utopia all the time. All visitors have a 72-hour limit on their stay, and squatters are prohibited. No caps. No entry. There is no cover charge for admission, but spending caps once inside is required of all parties during their stay. There are many ways to pay, including renting accommodations, gambling, drinking, and tipping entertainment. Anyone who doesn’t spend caps becomes evicted (or secretly kidnapped for Church of Atom recruitment). No violence. All weapons checked. Mirage is a paradise away from the Commonwealth’s harsh realities and never-ending violence. Visitors must check all their weapons at the door and handle disagreements with words, not fists. Upon departure,
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 123 checked weapons are returned. Armed Mirage guards stand ready to toss people out if violence does arise. Cheaters must pay. Gambling and caps may rule the scene at Mirage, but the residents believe that fair play is the only way. Anyone attempting to cheat or steal is offered the ability to pay off their debt by working in the kitchens or janitorial details at the casino. Recently, Maxwell Kantor has been secretly kidnapping some of these individuals to produce power for Mirage, before he hands them over to the Children of Atom as part of their vile deal. NUCLEAR WINTER IN PARADISE Residential status belongs only to the original vault’s dwellers and their immediate families. All have agreed to discretion regarding the inner workings of Mirage so long as it remains their personal paradise. But as hard as they have tried to shape the perfect life behind steel, they cannot control the external effects of nuclear winter’s onslaught. ASSURING SAFETY AND SUPPLIES Extreme weather conditions make it almost impossible for people of the Commonwealth to travel, which means fewer and fewer visitors seek out Mirage. Fewer customers lead to fewer caps, which means less budget for supplies. Mirage requires brahmin to power their reactor, and recent frost feral ghoul attacks have killed many of the settlement’s herd. This forced Mirage’s leader, Maxwell Kantor, to strike a secret deal with the Children of Atom—deliver recruits for the Church in exchange for brahmin and supplies to survive the cold months. Unfortunately, the very existence of the bargain disregards several of the community’s valued house rules. RESIDENTIAL TENSIONS Tensions rise among residents as fewer people visit Mirage. There is a philosophical divide on whether the “No Caps, No Entry” rule should be paused to draw in more patrons. Some believe the people of the Commonwealth would take advantage of this kindness and bleed them of supplies. Maxwell Kantor has yet to make an official ruling, and differing opinions on the matter lead to heated arguments. Those who suspect something sinister is going on in the engine room are increasingly uncomfortable in their own home. Since making a deal with the Children of Atom, a divide has opened up among Mirage’s permanent residents. Kantor, supported by the few people who know the truth of the deal, allows the Children of Atom to disregard the house rules occasionally. He lets the Atomites carry concealed weapons, enter without caps, and even overstay the 72-hour limit. Kantor tries to excuse this blatant rule-breaking by claiming that the Children of Atom are being persecuted and fear for their safety—and that their supplies are more valuable than caps. Other residents, unaware of Kantor’s deal, are grateful for the Church’s supplies but grow uneasy at their leader’s relationship with the Church. ATOM’S INFLUENCE While in other settlements the Children of Atom appear mostly benevolent and generous, Mirage’s leader knows the true price of the Last Son of Atom’s aid. The hand that feeds is the same hand with an iron grip on the settlement. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY The isolation and exclusivity of Mirage make it the perfect place for a secret recruitment effort. There are propaganda pamphlets at the bar, cameras hidden in the slot machines, and Children of Atom at the card tables looking for potential recruits. Only a handful of residents know the truth of Kantor’s deal with the Last Son—his most loyal guards and Ole’ Man Murray. Others, like Fusion Susan, simply believe the Church is generously gifting supplies in exchange for permission to preach within Mirage and take a short respite from the bitter winter. The more Kantor allows the Atomites at Mirage to openly break the house rules, however, the more suspicion rises that their leader and his new allies are hiding something.
124 FALLOUT Winter of Atom The Last Son of Atom has identified ideal recruits as those down on their luck, with no personal connections or a place to call home. Once a target is selected, the unlucky patron is charged with cheating by Mirage security. Kantor then takes them into a secret hold deep in Mirage’s bowels, where hundreds of exercise bikes are used to power the generators. Maxwell Kantor and a handful of his most loyal guards are the only ones allowed into the engineering room. Kantor keeps Mirage’s secondary power source a tight secret. Under threat of death, seized visitors are chained to a Vault-Tec bike until they are desperate—left with no choice but to convert to the Church of Atom and resign themselves to the Children’s reprogramming to escape. Once amenable to this option, a secret Children of Atom convoy picks them up and takes them to the Last Son’s secret headquarters near the Glowing Sea. WITH OTHER FACTIONS Mirage is open to all for a short period of time. This rule ensures now more than ever that outside factions, such as the Minutemen, do not get the opportunity to gain a foothold and power in Mirage, keeping them safe from those who seek to exploit the paradise they have created. With Atomites being allowed to ignore the 72-hour time limit, many wonder if Mirage is falling victim to the very danger this rule was designed to protect against. KEY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE OF INTEREST The casino games at Mirage may be fair, but the fate that befalls cheaters and unlucky visitors is not. The casino’s patrons have no idea they are making a blind bet against their freedom when they play at Mirage. Aside from the key locations listed, Mirage has many other facilities designed to cater to the needs of its patrons. Kitchens that offer freshly cooked appetizers to those sipping cocktails at the Watering Hole, hotel rooms decorated to look like Vault-Tec dorms for 5 caps per night, and a small shop offers essential equipment to stock up for your stay—or departure. THE WATERING HOLE The circular bar is in the middle of the casino floor, maintaining a 360-degree view of all Mirage activities. Visitors can find a liquid lunch accompanied by a Children of Atom pamphlet. The bar hides a single steel trap door leading to the engineering chamber that houses the repurposed vault reactor powered by soon-to-be Church recruits riding exercise bikes. Maxwell Kantor is the bartender and only person with the code to access this room, serving as Mirage’s sole reactor engineer. Key NPCs: Maxwell Kantor is the appointed leader and resident engineer of Mirage. He is a quiet fellow, a little introverted, but puts on a friendly face to visitors. Behind this façade, Kantor’s care for Mirage and its residents borders on the obsessive. He places the settlement’s survival above all else— including the lives of the people he recruits for the Children of Atom. He lacks remorse for his decisions, believing that preserving paradise is a worthy cause. His only issue with the Last Son‘s deal is the struggle to make the agreed recruitment quota and ensuring that Mirage remains under his control. He spends most of his time at the Watering Hole, where he has the perfect perspective to watch for potential recruits.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 125 BLACKJACK’S BLACKJACKS One of the only Blackjack tables in the Commonwealth, Blackjack’s Blackjacks is the perfect place to win some caps. If you play your cards right, the dealer might double down and provide valuable information. Key NPCs: Blackjack isn’t just the best dealer in the wasteland but also the most honest. Unfortunately, Maxwell Kantor has asked him to source more “cheaters” at his table, claiming Mirage desperately needs more temporary “volunteers” to keep the casino running. Kantor also promised that these individuals would be fed and cared for while they worked off their falsified debt and released within a few days of being detained. Blackjack is uncomfortable with this breach of the house rules. After his inquiries about the welfare of a few recent faux cheaters lead to a dead end, he is beginning to suspect he’s unknowingly setting up innocent people for a much more sinister purpose. He feels compelled to do something about his suspicions but is too afraid to act alone. THE OASIS The Oasis stage, fashioned to look like a picturesque sandy paradise, is where Fusion Susan performs new takes on old songs. A Protectron reprogrammed as a one-person band accompanies her each night. If you’re lucky, you might catch one of her hits, like “My Atomic Baby” or “Glowing for You.” Key NPCs: Fusion Susan was a psychologist back in the Vault. Now she charms visitors on and off the stage. She tends to be chatty when not performing, especially if she receives a good tip. Once off the stage, she drops her fake ditzy demeanor. Those who get to know her immediately realize Susan is very caring and intelligent. The permanent residents of Mirage consider her the glue that keeps their community together in tough times. Recently Fusion Susan met the Last Son of Atom during his first visit to the casino and immediately became smitten. She converted to his Church shortly after that, and it’s no secret she has a swelling crush on the charismatic prophet. She does whatever she can to gain his attention during his rare visits to Mirage. She tries to impress him with the results of the psychoanalysis she offers to patrons who buy her drinks after her shows. Unknown to her, the Last Son has instructed his spies to listen in on these sessions and use the information to pick out potential recruits. GLOWING FOR YOU If the PCs take the time to attend one of Fusion Susan’s shows at the Oasis, you can describe one of her performances and the song she sings with the following narration: The lights dim over the Oasis stage, fading into warm sunset tones as Fusion Susan slinks onto the stage and into the spotlight. As light jazz music starts to play from the one-person Protectron band, Fusion Susan croons, singing with powerful longing, wearing her desperate love on her sleeve. Her performance moves all those with a warm heart to tears. “Glowing for you is easy living It’s easy to glow when you know There’s nothing in this wasteland but you I never regret the years I’m giving It’s easy to give when you’re in love I’m happy to do whatever I do for you Maybe I’m a fool It’s almost cruel For I believe You’re the Atom to my Eve Glowing for you is easy living It’s easy to glow when you’re in love I’m atomically glowing for you” THE SLOTS The Slots are an aisle of refurbished slot machines initially placed in the Mirage for fun. Now, they each have a small camera installed for surveillance to identify those most ideal for recruitment.
126 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Key NPCs: Ole’ Man Murray is one of the strangest of all Mirage’s residents. He drinks heavily and is often heard spouting conspiracy theories. He knows about Kantor’s deal with the Last Son of Atom and that his daughter, Minnie “Muse” Mabee (see Beatsville, Artist Alley, p.143) was forced into recruitment because the Church needed someone who knows American Sign Language. The Last Son gave Kantor a choice—if Mirage gave him Minnie, the Church would never take another original resident for indoctrination. Murray has hated both the Children of Atom and Maxwell Kantor ever since. He keeps quiet about the deal only because Kantor promised that the Church would return Minnie in time if Murray didn’t stir up any trouble. If PCs ply him with enough alcohol, show a disdain for the Last Son and his sect, or give him the news that Minnie is free, he is willing to help them stop Kantor and his Atomite allies. PLAYING THE SLOTS The Slots boast a wide variety of three reel-handled slot machines for gambling caps. Characters insert caps into the machine, which become converted to “credits” displayed on the machine’s screen. When characters pull the handle, they lose 5 credits and roll 3d20 to replicate the spinning wheels. They gain credits based on the results of their roll, as follows: No Matching Numbers or 20s: No gain. Matching Numbers: Add the matching numbers together and gain that many credits. One 20: Gain 5 credits. Two 20s: Gain 50 credits. Three 20s: Jackpot! Gain 100 credits. A character can press the “cash out” button at any point before spinning the wheel again. When they cash out, caps drop into a tray at the bottom of the machine equal to the remaining total credits. Afterward, the machine’s screen resets to 0 credits. SIDE QUEST: MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS This quest becomes available after the PCs meet Minnie Mabee in Beatsville or complete Main Quest: Cleansing Fire. Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins. Resident Mirage drunkard and conspiracy theorist— Ole’ Man Murray—approaches the PCs and asks them to join him outside the casino for a quiet word. He appears cagey and skittish, afraid of being caught talking to the PCs by Kantor’s security team. He can reveal the following information: Maxwell Kantor made a deal for Mirage’s safety with the Last Son of Atom’s sect. In exchange, he sent Murray’s daughter Minnie to the Church. The Last Son was most interested in her ability to speak American Sign Language. Murray’s sick with grief and desperately wants to reunite with his daughter but cannot until Mirage is safe again. Kantor betrays his promise of safety in Mirage. He targets vulnerable people visiting the casino, captures them, then forces them into manual labor to power the casino. When Kantor is through with his prisoners, he ships them off to the Last Son for “recruitment.” Murray and Blackjack have decided that Kantor cannot be allowed to kidnap anyone else, even if it leaves Mirage vulnerable. Murray knows how to get to where the kidnapped people are held and has a plan to free them. He wants the PCs to play cards at Blackjack’s table and do well enough—or be loud and cheat to win—to draw the attention of the casino security team. If they can get themselves kidnapped, Murray believes they are resourceful enough to escape and free the others trapped too. Word will spread, and he hopes everyone living at Mirage will turn against Kantor and his sycophants.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 127 If the PCs agree to help Murray, he tells them to signal him at the slot machines when they are ready to get caught. He offers to play at the blackjack table opposite them to help make a loud scene. Because weapons are not allowed in Mirage, clever deception is the only way to avoid civilian casualties. CONTENT WARNINGS AND CHANGING SCENES This quest involves simulated gambling. Gamemasters may wish to alter the quest in one or more of the following ways to better suit the needs of their group: Instead of playing out betting and blackjack hands, narrate what happens as though the PCs successfully cheat and get caught. Instead of playing cards, Murray can tell the PCs about the keycode-protected trap door behind the bar at the Watering Hole. He offers to create a distraction by smashing bottles and shouting about subliminal messages in the slot machines. The PCs can use the distraction to slip behind the bar and break into the chamber below. Hacking the keycode requires succeeding on an INT + Science test with a difficulty of 5. If the PCs fail, six guards show up to arrest them, and Kantor takes them below for eventual “recruitment.” GUNS BLAZING Mirage visitors must check their weapons at the door. If PCs decide against Murray’s plan and go into Mirage guns blazing to rescue its captured people, they must fight their way through a busy casino, facing all eight Mirage Security Guards. The guards use slot machines, card tables, the bar, and casino visitors to maintain a superior position. The scenery gives the guards 1CD cover, and attacks have a complication range of 2 (19-20). Every complication rolled during the shootout hits an innocent bystander. Mirage Security Guard Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 6 6 6 5 5 6 4 SKILLS Athletics 1 Small Guns 5 Barter 1 Survival 2 Melee Weapons 5 Unarmed 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 210 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 3(Arms, Legs, Torso) 3(Arms, Legs, Torso) 0 0 ATTACKS MACHETE: STR + Melee (TN 11), 4 DC Piercing Physical damage COMBAT RIFLE: AGI + Small Guns (TN 11), 5 DC Physical damage, Fire Rate 2, Range M, TwoHanded SPECIAL ABILITIES DEADSHOT: Once per combat, the guard can increase the difficulty of their next ranged attack by 1. If they hit, they double the number of CD rolled to determine damage. INVENTORY Heavy Raider Chest Piece, Heavy Raider Leg x2, Heavy Raider Arm x2, Combat Rifle, Machete, 9+4 CD .45 rounds, Wealth 1 If the PCs are defeated, Kantor takes all their belongings, then throws them down in the engineering chamber below with the rest of his prisoners—proceed to The Holding Cell. If the PCs defeat the guards, Kantor surrenders. He agrees to let the prisoners go and begs the PCs for mercy.
128 FALLOUT Winter of Atom PLAYING CARDS When the PCs first sit down at Blackjack’s table, he doesn’t pay them much notice. They must win a few hands or cause a commotion to get him talking. If they mention they are working with Murray to free captives, he hushes them with a finger to his lips, then nods in understanding. PCs can win caps by playing their cards right. They can bet up to 100 caps each hand; if they win, the house pays out 2:1. Any PC playing makes an INT + Barter test—or a PER + Sneak test with a difficulty of 3 to cheat to win the hand automatically. After all the PCs bet and make their tests, roll 2d20, counting each result of 11 or lower as a success for the dealer. PCs who generate more successes on their INT + Barter test than you win the hand and receive twice what they bet in payment. Otherwise, they lose the hand and their bet. Anyone who rolls a 20 and a 1 scores a blackjack and automatically wins—but ties always favor the dealer. The first time any PC in the group fails a test to cheat, Blackjack takes their caps and warns them if he catches them cheating again, he will call security. If any PC wins at least 100 caps, Blackjack mutters, quietly warning them security takes notice of people who win too much, and the PC might want to quit while they are ahead. If any PC wins at least 200 caps, security shows up. Alternatively, a PC can create a scene that draws security by succeeding on a R or CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 3. When security appears, Maxwell Kantor joins them and loudly decries to the visitors at Mirage that they must suffer the fate of all cheaters. He then orders four Mirage Security Guards to take their belongings and follow Kantor to the holding cell. If the PCs resist, four more guards appear (see the previous section Guns Blazing). If the PCs allow themselves to be taken, the guards strip their belongings and lead them down the trapdoor behind the bar to the engineering chamber—proceed to The Holding Cell. THE HOLDING CELL When the PCs allow themselves to be captured or are taken forcefully, they are brought into the bowels of Mirage and witness a horrific scene. Dozens of captives wait below, forced to pedal exercise bikes to power the Mirage’s generator until they agree to join the Last Son of Atom’s Church. Review the following sidebar before continuing. CONTENT WARNING AND CHANGING SCENES The line between indentured servitude and slave labor is semantic. Forcing people to work for zero pay is abhorrent, and should never be tolerated. It is entirely understandable that some players will not want to engage with this content or include it in their games. You can alter this scene by replacing prisoners riding bikes with brahmin on giant rotating wheels. Captive PCs find themselves locked in the cell with other prisoners and occasionally visited by priests from the Church of Atom. The priests offer them their freedom in exchange for pledging loyalty to the Church. However you run this scene, do your best to make it clear to the players that the management and guards of Mirage are objectively evil people who need to be held accountable for their actions.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 129 When you are ready to continue, read or paraphrase the following: The small cell smells bad. Really bad. Like the daysold sweat of hundreds of people forced to cram into too-small conditions for weeks at a time. But the cell isn’t the worst of it. When a prisoner’s turn comes—and you never know when you will be next—Kantor’s loyal guards lead captives into the so-called “engine room.” There, prisoners are chained to an exercise bike and told to start peddling until they cannot anymore. All around, dozens and dozens of other prisoners accused of cheating wait for their next shift at the bikes. The air is filled with the sounds of a hundred old bikes whirring in exhausted unison. Occasionally robed figures enter the engine room, walking among the pedaling prisoners. When they stop, they kneel to wash the sweat from prisoners’ heads with cool rags and gently whisper to them. According to the rumblings of other captives, often, the robed figures unchain prisoners and lead them away, never to be seen again. The rumor is that the Church of Atom offers freedom to those who agree to join the Atomites and attend sermons given by the Last Son of Atom and his most devout followers. This is the beating heart of Mirage. This is where you live now unless you do something about it. But remember—the house always wins. The cell is a small cage in the engine room, large enough for a handful of ratty camp beds and a poorly working toilet. The rest of the room contains hundreds of exercise bikes that power Mirage. Three Mirage Security Guards are present—two flanking the doors and one sitting reading a magazine in the middle of the room. There are currently five other people caught “cheating” being held in the cell along with the PCs. The guards removed the PCs’ equipment, weapons, and armor. Their gear is stashed away in a large storage trunk located at long range on the opposite side of the engine room, beyond the exercise bikes. They can take up their weapons to fight if they can reach the trunk. The PCs must devise a plan to defeat the guards and free Kantor’s many prisoners. A few approaches the PCs might take follow. Tricking the Guards. A PC can trick the guards into opening the cell door for any reason by making a R or CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 2. If they lure the guards into the cell to spring a trap, the PCs can make a surprise attack. If the PCs ask the other five prisoners in the cell to help, they are all too happy to make the guards pay for their cruelty by swarming them and holding them down during the fight— increase the difficulty of the guards’ attacks by 1. Sneaking Past the Guards. A PC can attempt to pick the cage’s lock if they can fashion a pick out of something nearby, such as a spring from the small camp bed in the corner of the cell. To use a jury-rigged tool to unlock the cell without being noticed, they must make an AGI or INT + Lockpick test with a difficulty of 2. If they succeed, they can attempt to sneak past the guards without being spotted by succeeding on an AGI or PER + Sneak test with a difficulty of 3. If either test fails, or the PCs otherwise make it clear they intend to escape, the three guards approach to deliver a beatdown. Overpowering the Guards. A PC who waits until one of the guards takes them out of their cell to chain them to an exercise bike can attempt to force their way free and either fight or run for the equipment trunk. To do so, they must succeed on an AGI or R + Athletics test with a difficulty of 2. If they fail, the other two guards immediately approach, and all three attack, attempting to knock the PC unconscious and throw them back into their cell. If they succeed, the PC can take their turn before the guards attack. It takes a major action to grab items like weapons from the equipment trunk.
130 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Mirage Security Guard Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 6 6 6 5 5 6 4 SKILLS Athletics 1 Small Guns 5 Barter 1 Survival 2 Melee Weapons 5 Unarmed 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 12 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 210 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 3(Arms, Legs, Torso) 3(Arms, Legs, Torso) 0 0 ATTACKS MACHETE: STR + Melee (TN 11), 4CD Piercing Physical damage COMBAT RIFLE: AGI+ Small Guns (TN 11), 5CD Physical damage, Fire Rate 2, Range M, TwoHanded SPECIAL ABILITIES DEADSHOT: Once per combat, the guard can increase the difficulty of their next ranged attack by 1. If they hit, they double the number of CD rolled to determine damage. INVENTORY Heavy Raider Chest Piece, Heavy Raider Leg x2, Heavy Raider Arm x2, Combat Rifle, Machete, 9+4 CD .45 rounds, Wealth 1 Freeing the Prisoners. When the PCs defeat the guards or find another way to deal with them, they can take the keys from the meanest-looking guard and free the dozens of prisoners chained to exercise bikes. Once free, the prisoners storm through the trap door to Mirage above to expose Kantor with righteous anger. The remaining Mirage Guards are immediately overwhelmed by the prisoner revolt. The PCs can stay behind to loot the guards and find an additional 200 caps on their persons—but Maxwell Kantor manages to escape the prisoner uprising while the characters linger below. If they instead immediately follow the escaped prisoners up to the casino, they must make a group PER + Sneak test with a difficulty of 3. If the group test succeeds, they notice Kantor attempting to sneak out the front entrance and can capture him before he escapes. Resolving the Uprising. When the PCs return to the casino above, they find the escaped captives overwhelming the remaining Mirage Guards loyal to Kantor. Blackjack and Murray stand atop card tables and publicly expose Kantor and his allies to the other residents. Blackjack asks the PCs to help them decide what will become of Kantor, his loyal guards, and the future of Mirage. The PCs can offer solutions that impact the future of Mirage. If the PCs refuse to get involved or side with Kantor, Fusion Susan takes over leading Mirage. She orders Kantor and his allies executed and abandons her faith in the Church of Atom. Appalled and horrified at Kantor and the Last Son’s sect’s actions—and any unwitting part she played in them—she pays reparations to the captives and offers them permanent residence if they wish. Few accept the offer, and most prisoners return to their previous homes and lives.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 131 THE FALLOUT This quest has the following outcomes: Freed the Prisoners. If the PCs released the prisoners, Mirage no longer has a working power source. After a day, the settlement loses electricity, and its denizen outlook becomes somewhat grim. The settlers close the casino and focus all their efforts scavenging for temporary power and other supplies to help them survive the winter. Meanwhile, Murray and Blackjack depart Mirage and move to Beatsville so that Murray can reunite with his daughter Minnie Mabee. They tell the Beats all about the PCs’ great deeds at Mirage; when they make their next a reputation test with Beatsville, add one positive influence. Did No Harm (Except to the People Who Deserved It). If the PCs freed the prisoners without harming any innocent bystanders in the casino, the long-time residents treat them as heroes when they visit in the future—increase their settlement reputation rank by 2 for Mirage. Kantor Escaped. If Kantor escaped, he joins the Children of Atom. Ashamed and angry, he gives himself over entirely to the Last Son’s mad teachings. During Chapter 4: The Day of Division, the PCs can reencounter him as a zealous, vengeful enemy in the Glowing Sea at any time. The Last Son Revealed. If the PCs spread the word of the Atomites’ abhorrent deal with Maxwell Kantor to other settlements, those settlements turn against the Last Son of Atom’s Church unless they have already become entirely indoctrinated. Children of Atom living at those settlements become exiled and retreat to hideouts in the Glowing Sea.
132 FALLOUT Winter of Atom BIG TOP Stationed under a sizable and decrepit circus tent, Big Top is home to a community of ghouls that call themselves the Freeques. They are a small group of itinerant circus performers who wandered into the Commonwealth during their cross-country tour. Now trapped by the onset of atomic winter, they wait out the long, dark months beneath their big top tent, which offers little relief from current conditions. The original Freeques took up the identities of the circus freaks that came before them and now provide refuge for ghouls and disenfranchised synths under their performance space. With the roads frozen, trade halted, resources running dry, and more people seeking shelter within Big Top, recent supply offers from the Children of Atom seem more welcoming every day. Population: 7 original Freeques, 14 ghouls, 7 synths Defenses: Moderate Food Supply: Scarce Denizen Outlook: Somewhat Grim Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Neutral
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 133 TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflict at Big Top is built upon these core issues: Lack of infrastructure for a fixed settlement since Big Top is established as a nomadic traveling community. Growing distrust for ghouls and synths in the Commonwealth limits their potential allies and trade partnerships. A pending community vote on whether to take the deal with the Children of Atom in exchange for supplies. Much has changed for the Freeques since being forced to settle for the winter, stirring several internal conflicts. Unlike other settlements, they are ill-equipped to support a proper community. The disenfranchised are looking to the original members of the Freeques for guidance and security in a time when they cannot even provide it for themselves. NUCLEAR WINTER UNDER BIG TOP The settlement’s big-hearted founding circus performers are beginning to feel the burden of being forced to put down roots without being prepared to survive. More than anywhere else in the region, the refugees living in Big Top face dire starvation and desperately need help from the outside. ITINERANT LIFESTYLE Big Top was never meant for long-term settlement. The raging winter has forced the circus to stay in one place for too long. As a traveling troupe, the Freeques rely on ticket sales for supplies and mobility for protection. They are taking in more mouths than they can feed, and without audiences attending shows, Big Top is now more refugee camp than circus. The Freeques have improvised by building Carnival Row to provide some security for residents but cannot fully shelter the community from the relentless cold. NO ALLIES Because Big Top has little to trade and harbors both ghoul and synth refugees, potential allies are scarce. Residents take shifts scavenging for food and supplies in the frozen wastes but find little reward for risking their lives. Without a constant source of food and caps, the Freeques are growing desperate to seek help from anyone that will offer it. RESIDENTIAL TENSIONS Much has changed since the Freeques opened Big Top up to new settlers. A handful of third-generation synths seeking freedom from the Institute joined the settlement several months ago. They are outnumbered by the original Freeques and more recent ghoul residents. The ghoul refugees are the most populous group and hold the majority of votes in the Big Top Assembly. The Assembly rules are simple—each settler gets one vote in all matters, and the majority wins. The settlers have not yet voted on the Last Son of Atom’s recent offer to provide supplies in exchange for allowing the Church to preach to the Big Top community. Overall, few settlers want to ally with the Children of Atom, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The ghoul settlers must eat, and most feel they have no choice but to work with the Church to survive, while most of the synths—who do not require food or water to live—stand firm in rejecting the Children of Atom on their offer. Differing opinions cause rising tensions between the ghouls and the synths in the community. Even though the synth residents are a minority, their united stance against the Church could sway the vote and leave the other residents without the supplies they need to last the winter. ATOM’S INFLUENCE The Children of Atom are scouting everywhere they can in hopes of swelling their congregation, and they have their eyes set on Big Top. The Freeques have never dealt with settling in any place for too long before, much less having to ally with local factions. Performing is their specialty, not negotiations, and the Children of Atom have taken advantage of this fact by
134 FALLOUT Winter of Atom offering the settlement what it needs most—food and clean water. All Big Top must do is accept their offer and open their tent flaps to the Church’s teachings. WITHIN THE COMMUNITY A few weeks back, the Last Son of Atom walked straight into the Big Top tent, utterly unaffected by the radiation traps of Carnival Row. He came offering gifts of much-needed supplies in exchange for a chance to talk about the Children of Atom’s cause. Many ghoul settlers saw the offer as a means to survive the winter, while the synths saw a charlatan making empty promises. The Last Son’s only additional request was Big Top swearing loyalty to the Church should the sect ever come under attack. The ghoul residents called for a Big Top Assembly vote that very day, but Ringleader Johnnie Lonnie stalled, claiming all the settlers deserved a chance to contemplate such an important choice before deciding. WITH OTHER FACTIONS The Minutemen have only visited Big Top a handful of times since winter began. Those who stop by the settlement usually attempt to recruit new soldiers to their cause. Most of Big Top’s settlers are refugees from the chem-filled streets of Goodneighbor or the secret facilities of the Institute; they have no interest in returning to a life of violence, regardless of the cause. The Freeques have welcomed synths with open arms, but unbeknownst to them, the Institute is hunting the escaped synths—putting Big Top in more danger than they realize. KEY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE OF INTEREST The bright tents and light of the circus welcome those who stumble upon Big Top while searching the frigid wastes for shelter. Though its residents live up to the expectations of a wondrously bizarre carnival troupe, Big Top’s future hangs by a thread so delicate that even the most skilled tightrope walker would have trouble keeping their balance. THE BIG TOP TENT The Big Top Tent is the home and performance space of the Freeques and many recent refugees. The massive circular red and white tent holds two tiers of seats, a performance ring, and a trapeze rig. Public seating gets used as a shared sleeping space for residents, and a single community fire burns in the center of the ring. On rare occasions, when disputes arise or critical decisions must be made, the Big Top Tent serves as the site for the Freeques’ democratic voting assembly. Key NPCs: Ringleader Johnnie Lonnie is considered the leader of the Freeques. He wears classic red and white coattails, designating him as the public speaker for the settlement. Though he does not make decisions for the Freeques, he serves as the announcer for all voting results and a diplomat when negotiations arise. He knows his fellow performers miss life on the road, but his hope does not waver that winter will pass, and their show will go on. CIRCUS POSTER This poster can be found on buildings and boarded-up windows in the immediate area around Big Top and on boards throughout carnival row. Read or paraphrase the following when PCs travel to Big Top and see the poster for the first time: A newly painted advertisement hangs in the middle of the vintage Freeque posters of the past. The new poster promotes the Big Top’s first show since settling down in the Commonwealth for the winter. The painting’s bright colors show the Freeques performing won drous feats—the Swinging Sals sway displays her mind-bending tattoos, and Madam Atom glares intensely into a crystal ball. They all frame the central image of Ringleader Johnnie Lonnie, who cracks a whip to fend off a Protectron painted to look like a ferocious lion.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 135 The Inked Lady is the spectacle of the Freeques, adorned with intricate tattoos from her beautiful bald head to her polished wrinkled toes. She is both the canvas and the artist. Each one of her pieces tells a story. She eagerly offers those who share their stories (and a few caps) a tattoo to immortalize the tale. Recently, the Last Son of Atom visited her, requesting her talents in private. Only they know of the image she inked into his flesh—a pale purple tentacle wrapped around a dark obelisk covered in mysterious hieroglyphs. The Inked Lady might share the description of her work for the Last Son with someone who befriends her. However, Madame Atom now mistrusts the Inked Lady for tattooing the Last Son. Brawny Bill is the strong man of the group. When not showing off his muscles under Big Top, he can be found at the High Striker carnival game in Carnival Row with his prized hammer, Wilma. Brawny Bill and Wilma are always ready to crack skulls at the front lines when things get rough. Beneath his gruff demeanor, Bill is the most compassionate and caring member of the Freeques, unafraid to show his vulnerability and emotions to those he trusts. The Swinging Sals are a triad of acrobats who all answer to the name Sal. They consider themselves brothers bound even though they are not siblings by blood. Their trapeze act is the highlight of any Big Top performance. They are skilled spies and assassins off the ropes—though they would much rather be swinging than slaying. CARNIVAL ROW Carnival Row has become a much-needed security measure—a series of fun houses, sideshows, and carnival games meant to welcome visitors. Carnival Row’s repurposed booths camouflage deadly radiation traps keeping unwanted visitors at bay. The traps ensure only the radiation-immune can easily find their way into the settlement unless they know the safe route. The tent city constructed between the stalls and games of Carnival row helps relieve the Big Top Tent of its growing overcrowding problem. Key NPCs: Madame Atom spends most of her time at her private tent in Carnival Row. She is an eccentric woman who reads palms, crystal balls, and futures in exchange for all-mighty caps. Occasionally, she wanders into the Big Top Tent with a premonition, declaring her psychic vision with an extravagant emotional display. Her most recent vision was of an irradiated, thousand-legged beast monster rising from the earth to devour the Commonwealth. Not many newer residents took the prophecy seriously, but Madame Atom is quite worried. Some locals blame chems for her theatrics, but the original Freeques know Madame Atom’s visions always have some truth. SIDE QUEST: THE ILLUSTRATED MAN This quest becomes available after the PCs complete Main Quest: The Train Job and spend a day in Big Top. Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins. While in Big Top, the PCs overhear a tense conversation between Protectron Deputy D3N-Z3L and a group of synth refugees. If the characters listen in or join the conversation, they can learn the following things (much of which are lies): Deputy D3N-Z3L recently arrived at Big Top. He used to guard a military bunker about a day’s travel to the northeast. He claims he fled the bunker after a group of raiders invaded. The Protectron came to Big Top because they heard, from another traveler, about Madame Atom’s recent premonition regarding a giant underground beast. He believes the monster in her vision is real and that the answers lie inside the computers of the old bunker he used to guard. Deputy D3N-Z3L has been asking the locals if anyone will help him travel to the bunker and chase off the raiders, but the Freeques have refused.
136 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Even the bravest troupe members are preoccupied with preparing for the upcoming Big Top vote on whether the settlement will accept the Church of Atom’s offer for aid. Deputy D3N-Z3L asks the PCs to help him retake the bunker from the raiders who invaded. He offers them the stockpile of supplies inside to help the needy people of Big Top. The Deputy’s Lies. The PCs do not yet know that the Protectron is lying about everything. There are no raiders in the bunker. However, Deputy D3N-Z3L knows that the bunker houses a dangerous monster and contains secret files on the Last Son of Atom’s genetic experiments. He plans to sell the information—and the location of the synth refugees hiding in Big Top—to an Institute informant for a large sum of caps. Of course, achieving his goals means betraying the PCs at the most inopportune moment. TRAVELING TO THE BUNKER Traveling to the bunker is a 24-hour journey at a normal pace. Deputy D3N-Z3L insists on accompanying the PCs to redeem himself for previously being bested by the raiders. If they allow him to help, reduce the difficulty of their navigation test by 1. If they refuse, he tracks them through the wilderness and waits for the right moment to spring his trap once they enter the bunker. THE BUNKER AND THE STORM The bunker is a small, unremarkable concrete dome sealed on its south side by two heavy blast doors on the structure’s south side. The charging station previously used by Deputy D3N-Z3L is visible on the north side of the bunker. When the PCs approach the bunker, surrounded by half a mile of featureless wasteland in every direction, a Rad-izzard—a furious radioactive blizzard—rapidly forms in the area. At the start of a creature’s turn, if they are without shelter, they must make an END + Survival test with a difficulty of 2. If they fail, they gain 1 Fatigue and are inflicted with 2 CD Vicious Radiation damage. After the start of the Rad-izzard, it takes the PCs one round to reach the concrete blast doors. If Deputy D3N-Z3L accompanies the party, he fails to open the blast doors via their terminal, then exclaims that the raiders must have changed the access code. A PC can hack the console by making a successful INT + Science test with a difficulty of 3. Without any nearby shelter, PCs remain exposed to the deadly storm each round they fail to break into the bunker. When the doors open, read or paraphrase the following: The doors grind open to the sound of hissing air as the atmosphere sealed inside rushes to meet the radioactive storm outside. The bunker air carries the stink of hot metal, ozone, sulfur, and something… else. Something so rotten it would make most people’s skin writhe and crawl. Something so rancid it would cause most people’s lizard brains to scream at them to run away as fast as possible. Then you see it—emerging from the bunker’s gloom. A creature unfurls like a giant cat rising from slumber—a furry beast with nine legs and a mass of bulging eyes covering its head and shoulders, each with vertical slits that pulse out of time. It trails two long, distended tongues over its jutting mandible. And then it roars. Its fierce cry sounds like the static that sometimes fills radio airwaves but is lower in frequency and far hungrier. The freak pounces, and hell breaks loose. The starving Radoid Freak tries to make a frosty snack of the PCs. The beast was sealed in this bunker in hopes that it would starve to death. It didn’t. If the PCs fight it outside, they must contend with the Rad-izzard’s effects each round. If they rush into the bunker to fight, the darkness within increases the difficulty of their attacks by 1 unless they provide a light source. Deputy D3N-Z3L does not risk his gears against the beast, avoiding combat unless the PCs prove they cannot handle the beast on their own.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 137 Radiod Freak Level 7, Mutated Feline, Mighty Creature (104 XP) BODY MIND MELEE GUNS OTHER 8 6 3 — 3 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 30 14 1 PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 4 (Arms, Legs, Torso), 2 (Head 2(All) Immune 2(All) ATTACKS FORKED TONGUE: Body + Melee (TN 7), 6 CD Stun Physical damage, range C, and the target must make an END + Athletics test with a difficulty of 2 or be knocked prone CLAWS: Body + Melee (TN 11), 4CD Piercing Physical damage, or 8 CD Piercing Physical damage against prone targets BITE: Body + Melee (TN 11), 7 CD Vicious Physical damage SPECIAL ABILITIES IMMUNITIES: The brahmin is immune to Radiation damage and its effects. MUTANT RAGE: The first time each round the radoid freak takes damage, it can immediately make an attack as a free action. JUGGERNAUT: The first time each round that the radoid freak misses with an attack, it immediately makes a different attack as a free action without increasing the test’s difficulty. Additionally, it only suffers a Critical Hit if an attack inflicts 7+ damage (after damage resistance) in a single hit, rather than the usual 5+. LOW LIGHT HUNTER: The radoid freak’s vision is vulnerable to light but particularly keen in the dark. In dark areas, reduce the difficulty of its tests by 1 (to a minimum of 1). In a brightly lit area—or if a character uses a minor action to shine light at its eyes—increase the difficulty of its tests by 1 instead. INVENTORY BUTCHERY: Butchering the radoid freak’s corpse requires an END + Survival test with a difficulty of 1. A success yields 2 CD portions of radoid freak meat (comparable to mirelurk meat). If the test results in at least one Effect, butchery also produces 2 CD Rare Materials. INSIDE THE BUNKER After the encounter, Deputy D3N-Z3L turns the lights on inside the bunker. The bunker is one small room. The monster made the chamber’s center its nest for a long time, trashing most of the terminals and contents. Amongst the rubble lies a dozen Church of Atom holy symbols. The walls on the outside of the bunker contain the following supplies that could be lifesaving to the residents of Big Top: 3x Buffout, 20x Purified Water, 5x Rad-X, 5x RadAway, 10x NukaCola, 20x Common Materials, 10x Uncommon Materials, and 5x Rare Materials. Before continuing, encourage PCs to consume food, warm up, and heal. The screen of a single terminal mounted to one of the internal walls flickers with life, requiring a passcode (AT0M) to access. A PC can hack the terminal by making an INT + Science test with a difficulty of 1. If they fail their hacking test, the terminal auto-wipes its data after displaying an ominous phrase on the screen: “The Day of Division is nigh.” If they succeed, they can access notes written by the Last Son of Atom to learn the following: The Last Son experiments with gene-splicing to create intelligent beasts capable of both empathy and great destruction. His scientific notes suggest the Last Son is a true genius beyond his religious fervor. He desires the creatures to see him as their father. He wrote of the Radoid Freak locked within the bunker: “Perhaps too great a success, at this stage. I may return to my most unruly child later when we can better control and communicate with her.” He seems obsessed with excavating a buried city and locating what he refers to as “Atom’s Glow.” He does not mention the city’s supposed location but
138 FALLOUT Winter of Atom believes he is very close to his goal if only he can unearth “the last piece of the puzzle.” He is confident the Day of Division is nearly come, where the faithful of Atom will walk between infinite universes and know true paradise. His greatest frustrations are the interference of the Minutemen and the other sects of the Church that call his prophecy heretical and profane. Deputy D3N-Z3L plugs into the terminals and makes a copy of the logs if he is able. THE INSTITUTE’S BETRAYAL When the PCs attempt to leave the bunker, Deputy D3N-Z3L turns on them, powers up his weapons, and attempts to block their way out. He states, “Thank you very much. The Institute will pay me quite well for the good work you’ve done here.” A successful CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 1 can delay the attack long enough for the PCs to spend AP and Obtain Information. If they do, they can learn the following: Deputy D3N-Z3L is a cold killing machine and mercenary. He is programmed to make as much money as possible and dreams of owning a Bed & Breakfast that caters to robots. He plans to sell the location of the synth refugees in Big Top to the Institute. He does not know the Last Son of Atom but believes the Institute will be very interested in his genetic experiments and scientific knowledge. The PCs have simply proven too resourceful to be allowed to live. If the PCs fail their test to speak with Deputy D3NZ3L, he immediately makes a surprise attack, targeting the party’s most vulnerable member. If the PCs instead attack, begin the encounter normally. Deputy D3N-Z3L is a dangerous foe, and escape may be the best option for lower-level groups already hurt from the previous encounter. Outside, the Radizzard storm has passed. If PCs leave the bunker, the Protectron does not immediately pursue on its next turn and instead fires through the door with his tear gas launcher from Medium range. A PC can spend a major action to shut the bunker doors from outside, potentially trapping Deputy D3NZ3L inside. The door cannot be opened from within the bunker. Protectron Deputy D3N-Z3L Level 8, Robot, Mighty Creature (120 XP) BODY MIND MELEE GUNS OTHER 6 8 3 4 3 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 28 14 1 PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 4(All) 3(All) Immune Immune ATTACKS CLAWS: Body + Melee (TN 9), 3 CD Physical damage ARM LASERS: Body + Guns (TN 10), 3 CD Burst, Piercing Energy damage, Range C, Fire Rate 4 TEAR GAS LAUNCHER: Body + Guns (TN 10), 4 CD Persistent, Stun, Spread Poison damage, Range M, Blast, Inaccurate SPECIAL ABILITIES IMMUNITIES: Protectron Deputy D3N-Z3L is a robot. It is immune to Poison and Radiation damage and their effects, plus the effects from disease, starvation, suffocation, and thirst. ARM LASERS: If one of the Protectron’s arms suffers an injury, the Fire Rate of its Arm Lasers decreases by 2. CEASE AND DESIST: Once per combat, the Protectron can activate its anti-riot subroutine. He attacks with his Tear Gas Launcher, and then with his Improved Arm Lasers, without spending AP or increasing the test’s difficulty. Add CD equal to the Arm Laser’s current Fire Rate to the damage. INVENTORY SALVAGE: Scavengers can salvage from Protectron D3N-Z3L with a successful INT + Survival test with a difficulty of 1. A success yields 2 CD units of uncommon materials with + 1CD per AP spent, and each Effect yields 1 Rare Material. Tear Gas Launcher, 1+5 CD tear gas canisters.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 139 TEAR GAS LAUNCHER Ammunition: Tear Gas Canister WEAPON NAME WEAPON TYPE DAMAGE RATING DAMAGE EFFECTS DAMAGE TYPE FIRE RATE RANGE QUALITIES WEIGHT COST RARITY Tear Gas Launcher Big Guns 4 DC Persistent, Stun, Spread Poison 0 M Blast, TwoHanded, Inaccurate 18 254 3 This pre-War weapon designed to house tear gas canisters has been lovingly repaired. Tear gas is a mixture of various aerosolized irritants and compounds ideal for deterring or disabling crowds or large animals. Tear gas is also effective at drawing out unsuspecting hostiles from fortified positions. A tear gas launcher can accept one each of the following mods, which are unique to the tear gas canister and installed with the Repair skill: MOD NAME PREFIX EFFECTS WEIGHT COST PERKS BARREL MODS Extended Barrel Extended Increase Range by 1 step +1 +20 Gun Nut 1 GRIP MODS Tactical Grip Tactical Remove Inaccurate - +28 - BARREL MODS Snap Barrel Double Action +1DC Fire Rate - +143 Gun Nut 2 3-Shot Chamber 3-Shot +2 DC Fire Rate +8 +218 Gun Nut 3 6-Shot Chamber 6-Shot +2 DC Fire Rate, Gain Unreliable +10 +250 Gun Nut 4 STOCK MODS Balanced Stock Balanced Gain Accurate and Reliable +10 +250 Gun Nut 2 THE FALLOUT This quest has the following outcomes: The Church Exposed. If the PCs tell any of the leaders of Big Top about the Last Son’s terminal logs—or about his dealing with Mirage exposed during Side Quest: Midnight at the Oasis—the settlement votes to publicly rebuke the Church of Atom regardless of the other outcomes of this quest. The Last Son’s sect marks Big Top as an enemy and might plan to target it during Chapter 3: The Winter War. Joined the Church. If Big Top votes to allow the Church of Atom into their settlement, its missionaries take residence and sway its people to become true believers in the Last Son’s prophecy. The settlement’s denizen outlook and food supplies improve two steps, but they fully aid the Atomites against their enemies in future conflicts. If the PCs are vocally opposed to the Church, add a negative influence to the next settlement reputation test they make for Big Top. Donated the Supplies. If the PCs give at least 50% of the bunker’s supplies to the needy people of Big Top, they make a settlement reputation test and add one positive influence, but the settlement still votes to accept the Last Son’s offer out of sheer necessity. If the PCs give all their supplies, they add another positive influence to the test, the settlement’s denizen outlook and food supplies improve one step, and Big Top votes to politely refuse the Last Son’s aid.
140 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Deputy D3N-Z3L Survived. If the PCs do not destroy the Protectron, he activates an internal device to signal his informant at the Institute, who can free and repair him if necessary. After 2d20 days, the Protectron leads a group of Institute synth coursers to Big Top. There, they viciously attack. Unless the PCs are present to defend the settlement, several residents die, and the Institute recaptures its escaped synth refugees. BEATSVILLE The people of Beatsville are simply known as the Beats. This commune of new-age Beatniks exists in an old junkyard brought to life with vibrant art. They aim to bring the people of the Commonwealth out of a dark age and into an age of enlightenment by spreading new art, music, and literature as far as possible. Most would consider Beatsville’s location a trash heap, while the Beats see it as an architectural marvel and an ever-changing art piece. Vast mounds of junk, tires, and rusted metal around the settlement’s exterior cover conceal the settlement’s artistic nature. Over the years, residents have learned to craft incredible objects from repurposed junk—plastics intricately woven into clothing and fabrics, cans reshaped into unique jewelry and helpful gear, dirt and clay fired to make beautiful ceramics, and old objects illustrated over with new paintings are just a few of the incredible things created by the Beats. Population: 21 settlers Defenses: Very Weak Food Supply: Stocked Denizen Outlook: Somewhat Happy Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Cautious TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflicts at Beatsville are built upon these core issues: A desperate need to remain hidden as they are a pacifist community with no means of protecting themselves. An absent governing structure or authority to mitigate the rising community issues and decisions that must be made. An interruption in their regular trade routine causing settlers to lack the supplies needed to survive the harsh winter. In the wake of an isolating winter, the Beats face several tough decisions. The ideologies that keep safe may no longer be enough. How far will they go before they must reveal their location to survive? NUCLEAR WINTER AMONG ARTISTS Beatsville residents have survived times of hardship by staying true to their vision and coming together through creative expression. Now, nuclear winter paints a bleak picture for the settlement’s future, and the rifts opening within the community are more than mere artistic differences. HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Beatsville’s only means of protection is their anonymity. As pacifists, they do not allow weapons within their walls, so remaining safe means remaining hidden. Years in isolation have allowed the people of Beatsville to flourish creatively and peacefully, away from prying eyes. The atomic winter brings new dangers and conflict—anonymity may not be enough to provide the protection and supplies needed to survive the atomic winter. STARVING ARTISTS “Creativity at all costs” is the Beats’ way of life and how they envision a better future for the Commonwealth. Their secondhand creations once provided a source of caps and supplies, but the harsh
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 141 winter has halted the efforts of the settlement’s sole traveling trader, Dead Drop Dave. The wilderness is too dangerous for scavenging efforts, and limited road access makes it hard to bring back enough supplies in large quantities when trade is possible. Soon they will run out of manuscripts to burn and be left as nothing more than a community of starving artists. RESIDENTIAL TENSIONS In the current situation, some settlers believe it is time to break isolation and make new contacts to support the community’s longevity. However, many stand beside the Lama and his teaching that they must remain hidden. Most Beats hold fast to their belief in living a concealed life, which thus far has kept them safe. The Jambakers’ recent announcement to leave the settlement and bring their music to the wider Commonwealth has sparked a panic regarding safety and security. Fear that Beatsville may be revealed to the world spreads through the community like wildfire, and the artists call for action to be taken. The settlement has never faced an internal conflict of this kind, but tensions only worsen with no official governing system and the Lama’s unwavering stance on the matter. With the atmosphere growing more uneasy by the day, many seek to peacefully take matters into their own hands—with some residents suggesting the Beats should find a new Lama. ATOM’S INFLUENCE The Beats remain unaligned with any major Commonwealth faction due to their isolationist way of life. Both the Children of Atom and the Minutemen are actively searching for the settlement. Each group hopes to recruit these new forward-thinking people to their respective causes. The Children of Atom have set a large bounty for information on Beatsville’s location—almost no price is too high for adding such creative and ingenious minds to Atom’s divine cause.
142 FALLOUT Winter of Atom WITHIN THE COMMUNITY Unbeknownst to the Beats, their newest settler, Minnie “Muse” Mabee, was essential in the Last Son of Atom’s long-term plan for the Commonwealth. She mostly keeps to herself, speaking only to a specific few in American Sign Language or scribbling short responses in her journal. Though the Children of Atom have no hold on the community, Minnie is a loose end, and her presence endangers everyone. WITH OTHER FACTIONS The Minutemen are far more interested in recruiting the Beats as performers than fighters, but the Beats’ distrust of armed forces makes it difficult for them to trust the militia. The Minutemen believe the Beats’ artistic endeavors are frivolous if they don’t use their talents for the good of the entire Commonwealth. They believe the best contribution the artists can make is to join them and help raise the spirits of its weary and exhausted soldiers. So far, the Minutemen have not been able to locate Beatsville, but they have started trading with Dead Drop Dave to gain an opportunity to follow him back to the compound’s hidden locale. KEY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE OF INTEREST Beatsville is a testament to how a community can thrive when its people live with security. It is also a cautionary tale of how quickly security can crumble when artists can no longer create in peace. Art is rarely crafted without a message, and the people of Beatsville must decide what their creative endeavors truly stand for. KOOL RADIO KOOL Radio is one of the farthest-reaching stations in the Commonwealth. The massive satellite dish it’s positioned under serves as an excellent conduit for expanding its reach. According to DJ Daddy-O, it’s the only station in the region playing the wasteland’s hottest talent, newest hits, and uncensored news. Key NPCS: DJ Daddy-O is the hippest cat in Beatsville and— according to him—probably in the whole wasteland. He dedicates his life to spreading swinging new tunes and the truth about the “way-out world of the Wasteland.” He hides behind a sleek pair of sunglasses and his anonymity, believing his mic is the best weapon against the Children of Atom’s propaganda. Lucky locals sometimes attend one of DJ Daddy-O’s happening parties or catch one of his live broadcasts. The Jambakers are the most jivin’ band in the Commonwealth. They recently announced their decision to leave Beatsville and take their act on the road as part of their new creed— bring music to the masses no matter the cost. Their proclamation created one of the first open discourses amongst the Beats about the settlement’s isolation and whether the Jambakers’ tour might endanger the community. They would make for an ideal performance group for the Minutemen. DJ DADDY-O’S BROADCAST “It’s that time! Get ready for the hippest DJ this side of the atomic crater! It’s me, DJ Daddy-O, ya dig? You’re tuned in to K.O.O.L Radio, your number one station for the truth about what’s happenin’ in the way-out Wasteland. Today’s weather is less than groovy. You guessed it —more snow. I can hear your crumb crushers chattering from here, so grab your duchess and squeeze her tight because it’s gonna be another cold one. But you know what’s colder than this weather? The Children of Atom. I should know. I’m the coolest cat around. Trust me when I say the Atomites will tell you it’s a jumpin’ time, but that’s just a whole lotta lies and false promises. If you wanna warm your bones, you gotta dance to the beat of your own drum, ya dig? But enough of my spoutin’. Let’s arm up with some new hot licks from the best band in Beatsville: The Jambakers! Enjoy and remember—ain’t nothing atomic about Atom.”
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 143 DIARY OF A MUSE Prayer of the Atomites: Hear, O Atom, our prayer. We proclaim your name. We give so that you may give. You sacrifice so we no longer have to. It is only in your radiant rays that we live free of depravity. Keep His commands and do what pleases Him. We seek His grace. For the faithful are cleansed of all unrighteousness. ARTIST ALLEY Artist Alley is one of the Commonwealth’s most vibrant, beautiful, and curious places. Stall after stall stands laden with finely crafted goods, clothes, and art. The shops serve as both the work and residential spaces for each Beat, who can prepare many other fine goods that cannot be found on the stalls’ shelves. Key NPCs: The Lama guides all the settlers of Beatsville to write, create, and archive everything they can about their experience in the Commonwealth. He claims to be a playwright and is earnest in his commitment to telling the stories of the people of today. The Lama keeps the settlement’s location secret, believing it is the key to Beatsville’s safety and artistic freedom. In the wake of the Jambakers tour announcement, he thinks the Beats may need to use physical force for the first time—and imprison the band if they try to leave the settlement. Minnie “Muse” Mabee is a quiet, kind, and brilliantly creative deaf young woman—and the newest settler to Beatsville. The Beats don’t know much about her, except that she is a poet running from her past who keeps to herself. The walls of Beatsville have provided her safety from the people she fled—the Children of Atom. Muse is wary of most people, but if befriended, she shares what she remembers about the Children of Atom. After being recruited from Mirage, she was blindfolded and taken to a secret bunker. There, the Last Son of Atom made her communicate in American Sign Language to train a radioactive monster through a small panel in the wall. Because she is deaf, she never learned the Church’s plans for the creature and only ever saw its terrifying mandibles through the panel. Muse eventually escaped and only knows the bunker is located somewhere near the Glowing Sea. Muse’s diary holds verses written for the Children of Atom’s propaganda pamphlets currently in distribution across the Commonwealth— and speaks to her regret about not being able to visit her father, Murray, for fear of what the Last Son of Atom might do to him. Dead Drop Dave is the only Beat who travels out into the Commonwealth. He secretly trades the settlement’s art, literature, and clothing in exchange for needed supplies. All “drops” happen without either party knowing each other’s names or seeing each other’s faces—he delivers the goods to one location and picks up caps and supplies from another. His time traversing the Commonwealth has left him rougher around the edges than the other Beats. He knows it is only a matter of time before the jig is up for Beatsville. SIDE QUEST: BEAT IT This quest becomes available if the PCs complete Side Quest: Midnight at The Oasis in Mirage and Murray survives to reunite with his daughter in Beatsville. Before that point, Minnie instead encourages PCs to investigate what truly goes on at Mirage if they want to help her. Add 1 AP per PC to the GM’s pool when the quest begins.
144 FALLOUT Winter of Atom Minnie “Muse” Mabee and Dead Drop Dave approach the PCs covertly and insist that the Lama can’t know what they’re about to tell the group. If he moved to Beatsville, Minnie’s father Murray joins them. Though Minnie is deaf, she reads lips proficiently and speaks clearly while mirroring her words in American Sign Language. Dave supports Minnie, reinforcing that she understands the Children of Atom better than anybody. During the conversation, they can reveal the following information: As the Last Son Of Atom’s influence in the Commonwealth grew, some less zealous members of his sect with doubts about his leadership fled the Glowing Sea. They call themselves ‘Pilgrims.’ They have been turned away from every settlement due to being highly irradiated. Drawn by the massive radio dish, a small group of Pilgrims is starting to sniff around the junkyard. People fear they will try to make the yard their home and may discover Beatsville’s location. Opinion on what to do is divided. Some—including Minnie—argue that pacifism is only a viable option when you don’t have wolves at your door. She believes Beatsville should set up turrets and traps around the perimeter to guard the settlement. Others—namely the Lama—are steadfast in their belief that violence begets violence and would rather wait for the problem to go away on its own. Dave and Minnie do not want to hurt the Pilgrims and will not risk going directly against the Lama’s wishes. Minnie trusts the PCs’ judgment and asks them to find a way to keep Beatsville hidden. Minnie cannot offer them any material reward but does promise to tell them everything she remembers about the Last Son of Atom (see Beatsville, Artist Alley, p.143). She is also willing to teach interested PCs some American Sign Language, which may prove very useful during Chapter 3: The Winter War. Finding the Pilgrims scavenging amongst the junk piles outside of Beatsville proves simple. There are multiple possible solutions to this quest, and you should allow the players to approach it as they see fit. Some suggestions for a few approaches follow. THE TALKING CURE A PC can persuade the Pilgrims to go elsewhere by making a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 4. If they fail, the Pilgrims refuse to leave and begin to scavenge faster—convinced there is something of value nearby. If they succeed, the Pilgrims agree to leave if the PCs advise them on a safe place to go and explain why they cannot stay in the junkyard. PCs can, of course, lie. If the PCs attempt to help relocate the Pilgrims honestly, they can travel with them to the place of their choice. When they arrive, the PCs need to lean on their connections to convince settlers to take in the radioactive group. To convince a settlement leader to let the Pilgrims move into their community, a PC must succeed on a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty equal to 6 minus their settlement reputation rank. If they fail, the settlement leader may request the PCs complete a side quest or do them a favor in exchange for taking in the Pilgrims. Additionally, they ask the new settlers to complete an aggressive course of RadAway to keep other residents safe. THE FIGHTING CURE The PCs might decide the best course of action is to dispose of the Pilgrims entirely, resorting to violence. The eight Pilgrims have nowhere else to go and fight to the death. Describe the interesting junk in the yard—big snow-covered scrap piles, burnt-out cars, construction machines, and the sad remains of the old world. Allow both sides to creatively use their surroundings for between 1-3CD cover or hazards they can pit against their enemies. At any time during the encounter, the GM can spend AP to target a PC with a unique hazard. To avoid the hazard’s effects, the PC must succeed on a test of their choice—so long as it makes narrative sense—with a difficulty equal to the AP spent.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 145 HAZARD EFFECT A falling avalanche of icy junk 3 CD Stun Physical Damage per AP spent An ancient machine explodes 2CD Piercing Vicious Energy Damage per AP spent Pilgrims throw heavily irradiated snowballs 2 CD Persistent Radiation Damage per AP spent Pilgrim Level 6, Human, Normal Character (45 XP) S P E C I A L 5 6 6 7 5 5 4 SKILLS Barter 1 Sneak 2 Energy Weapons 4 Speech 2 Melee Weapons 1 Survival 4 Repair 1 HP INITIATIVE DEFENSE 12 11 1 CARRY WEIGHT MELEE BONUS LUCK POINTS 200 lbs. - - PHYS. DR ENERGY DR RAD. DR POISON DR 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 1(Arms, Legs, Torso) 2(All) 0 ATTACKS MACHETE: STR + Melee Weapons (TN 6), 4CD Piercing Physical damage PLASMA GUN: PER + Energy Weapons (TN 10), 6CD Physical/Energy damage, Fire Rate 1, Range C, Close Quarters SPECIAL ABILITIES RAD RESISTANT: The Pilgrim can survive moderate radioactivity for prolonged periods. They have a Radiation DR of 2. INVENTORY Tough Clothing, Plasma Gun, Machete, 6+3CD fusion cells, Wealth 1
146 FALLOUT Winter of Atom THE TRAP CURE PCs can convince the Lama to let them build a trap to deal with the Pilgrims by succeeding on a CHA + Speech test with a difficulty of 5. If they fail, the Lama forbids the plan and decries them for their failure to think of non-violent solutions. If the PCs build the trap anyway, or without asking permission, nobody in Beatsville will use force to stop them. Unless the PCs already possess a suitably deadly trap, they must build one from scratch. Allow them to scavenge for materials, scrap, and robo-parts to invent the most sinister trap they can imagine. Building the trap takes two hours, requires spending 2 Common Materials, 2 Uncommon Materials, and 1 Rare Material—and then making an INT + Repair test with a difficulty of 4. If they succeed, their trap kills half of the Pilgrims and sends the remainder fleeing from the junkyard. If the test fails, the trap proves a partial dud, only killing 2CD Pilgrims before the remainder discover Beatsville. Should the Pilgrims reach Beatsville, they try to invade the settlement forcefully and succeed in taking over if the PCs do not intervene. If the PCs protect Beatsville against the Pilgrims (see The Fighting Cure), the Lama dies in the crossfire while standing between the two groups and trying to cry out for peace. THE FALLOUT The PC with the highest Charisma makes a settlement reputation test (CHA + Reputation Rank) when the quest resolves, rolling a number of d20s equal to their positive influences against a difficulty equal to the number of negative influences. Use the following outcomes as a guide: Safely Resettled. If the PCs helped the Pilgrims move to a safe settlement, add one positive influence to their settlement reputation test with Beatsville. The recovering Atomites become happy and helpful community members. In the future, they go out of their way to aid the PCs however they can. The PCs also make another settlement reputation test with the Pilgrims’ new home and add one positive influence. Soiled With Blood. If the PCs kill the Pilgrims by attacking or using a trap—and did not first convince the Lama to let them—the leader becomes livid. He exiles them from Beatsville, and their settlement reputation rank becomes 0 (Hostile). The Lama preaches that the PCs cannot be trusted and sends scouts into the wasteland to look for a new place to call home. Even if the PCs gained approval before killing the Pilgrims, add one negative influence to their settlement reputation test. If any Pilgrims survived, they are caught by the Church of Atom and reveal Beatsville’s location to the Last Son’s followers. The Lama Perished. If the Pilgrims invaded Beatsville and the Lama died in the crossfire, the surviving settlers are heartbroken. Every settler, including Minnie, repledges to living only a pacifist life and not being led astray again. The PCs add one negative influence to their reputation test with Beatsville and the settlement’s denizen outlook becomes very grim. Beatsville Fell. If the PCs did not stop the Pilgrims, they forcefully invade Beatsville and take over. The Lama perishes while trying to stand in their way. The remaining community scatters to the winds, relocating to other settlements. Only DJ Daddy-O remains behind, broadcasting for as long as possible.
Chapter Two WELCOME TO THE COMMONWEALTH 147 MECHMINSTER ABBEY Though the tattered church is no longer a house of God, it is still a house of worship—worship of steel, fire, and all things machine. The Sisters of the Forge, a small female group of blacksmiths and mechanics who wear necklaces of c-wrenches instead of rosaries run Mechminster Abbey. The Sisters are known to pray by whispering, “Where there is light, there is hope.” They live by those words, working tirelessly to keep the forge burning so they can provide charitable support to people in the Commonwealth fighting the good fight. They strongly disapprove of the Last Son of Atom and dedicate themselves to leading others away from his dangerous doctrine. Unfortunately, their priorities have shifted due to the extreme winter conditions. Food is scarce, and a recent frost feral ghoul attack has left Mechminster Abbey’s defenses in disarray. With their pews full and their coffers empty, it might be the Sisters’ turn to reach out and seek a helping hand. Population: 43 settlers Defenses: Somewhat Weak Food Supply: Limited Denizen Outlook: Somewhat Grim Starting Settlement Reputation Rank: Neutral
148 FALLOUT Winter of Atom TENSIONS AT A GLANCE The conflicts at Mechminster Abbey are built upon these core issues: An overabundance of starving people and a lack of supplies to feed them. A surprise attack by a pack of frost feral ghouls has left their defenses in disarray and the settlement exposed. An increase in illegal chem use among the settlers in Limbo conflicts with the settlement’s values. The changes in the wake of atomic winter have significantly strained Mechminster Abbey. Their dedication to serving the people of the Commonwealth has not gone unnoticed. Many seek help in their time of need, but the Sisters’ resources are exhausted. The settlement requires outside help to get more supplies and shore up its security. NUCLEAR WINTER AT THE FORGE Few settlements try to support and uplift those in need for truly honest and just reasons, but the Sisters of the Forge have ever been a light in the darkness. However, even the Forge of Mechminster Abbey struggles to keep the dark of winter at bay. Unless someone stokes the fire of hope during the settlement’s most desperate hour, the wasteland might find itself a little colder in the coming nights ahead. DWINDLING TITHES Since its inception, Mechminster Abbey has relied on the kindness of others in exchange for their own. The Minutemen and people of the Commonwealth have always paid tithes to the Abbey in food, stimpacks, and clean water. The Sisters provide weapons and armor to those keeping the Commonwealth safe in exchange. But supplies are scarce for everyone now, so no one has extra to pass along to the Sisters’ cause. With more people seeking haven in Limbo, they lack a solution to their current resource problems. DOWNED DEFENSES The recent frost feral attack left many dead or injured and depleted the settlement’s ammo supply. The heat from the ever-burning forge is a beacon for the ferals, and several settlers have suggested that the Sisters shut it down. The Pulpit’s flame has burned every moment since the Reverend Riveter lit it years ago. It symbolizes what the Abbey stands for; she would never see that light doused. Recently, the Sisters have put most of the settlers from Limbo to work repairing and patching their defenses. They fear the recent frost feral attack may be the herald of a larger hoard on the horizon. But even with the newly constructed junk fences, Mechminster Abbey is unlikely to survive another attack. RESIDENTIAL TENSIONS A strict set of rules and values help shape the settlement of Mechminster Abbey. One of these rules is that residents may not use illegal chems, but Limbo’s recent overcrowding fosters the perfect environment for illicit activities. The Sisters have been so busy finding resources and helping the injured that they struggle to manage the growing population of the settlement. Illegal chems go against their values, but they refuse to put vulnerable people into the cold. The Sisters offer a substantial reward for anyone who can provide information on who is responsible for the influx of chems into Limbo. ATOM’S INFLUENCE The Sisters of the Forge stand firmly against the Last Son of Atom’s sect of the Church and are generally wary of other Children of Atom too. They have no interest in the Last Son’s manipulations or supply offerings. The Sisters have worked hard to spread their own propaganda against the Church, shedding light on their ulterior motives. The Last Son of Atom has taken notice of their resistance and considers Mechminster Abbey his sect’s greatest enemy.